Parental Involvement as Capital: A Case Study of Immigrants in Canada

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 72
  In Roundtable Session: Parent Involvement in Refugee and Immigrant Families

Abstract

This paper is based on the qualitative data from interviews with Eastern European immigrant parents (N=19), whose children attend elementary schools in Canada. As a key predictor of students' achievement parental involvement has been in the center of attention of both educational researchers and policymakers. My study focuses on the social and cultural capital of immigrant parents from post-socialist countries of Eastern Europe and the way it shapes their parental involvement in children's education in Canada. Low familiarity with the Canadian school system devalued the cultural capital available to immigrant parents, which was partially compensated by their high levels of education. Length of stay in Canada positively influenced the recreation of social networks and renewal of social capital.

Author

• Max Antony-Newman, University of Toronto