Women in Cross- Cultural Transition

Abstract

This article reports on a study of the life experiences and self perceptions of new Canadian women living in Calgary, Alberta. The study used participant observation and the findings of the first person open-ended interviews of twenty-four women contacted through the Calgary Immigrant Women's Centre during the period of February 1983-June 1984. The richness of womens' experiences and perceptions available through the life history approach enables one to identify and to describe complex aspects of the transition process of immigrant women and their implications for the concept of self. A number of the experiences of female newcomers in seeking a transition from the "old" to the "new" culture are described. The experiences document some very real connections between the self-images of the women, their quest for a sense of community or belonging, and their identity as Canadians. The use of Mead's interactionist theory is used to explain the importance of opportunities for interaction between women and their new community in order to acquire a revised sense of self.