Perspectives of primary school children of Filipino immigrants on their home and school experiences in South Australia.

Abstract

This thesis contributes to the understanding of socialisation of children by examining the perspectives of primary school children of Filipino immigrants in South Australia on their experiences at home, in school, with peers, and with media. Philippineborn children, aged 8-12, were interviewed on how they learnt the skills, attitudes, and values that enabled them to cope with their new environment. Research on the socialisation experiences of primary school children of immigrants is scarce. What there is focuses on economic status and academic success. Little is known about children’s perspectives and adaptive strategies following immigration. This thesis fills a research gap in the complexity of children’s experiences by investigating the perspectives of thirty primary school children of Filipino immigrants living in South Australia. A qualitative methodological approach grounded the children’s perspectives in symbolic interactionism (SI). Recognising the development of children’s selves through socialisation, SI sees children as active participants in human group life. Through interaction, children define their situations, take perspectives, and adjust their behaviour in line with that of others. The study concludes by generating substantive propositions regarding the socialisation experiences of children of Filipino immigrants. These support formal theoretical implications on selves, socialisation, perspective-taking, and coping. The study recommends further research into the experiences of the same children when they commence high school. A similarly designed study could be utilised for Australian-born primary school children of Filipino immigrants.