The roles of ethnicity and family in the career development of second-generation Chinese Canadians.

摘要

This study explored the career development of Canadian-born Chinese individuals. Applying a qualitative framework using a phenomenological approach, ten participants who had at least one year of work experience in their chosen fields were interviewed about their career development. Specifically, the roles of ethnicity and family were emphasized. Analyses revealed that second-generation Chinese Canadians were influenced by Chinese and Western values regarding career, which affected the factors that they considered in their career development, including interests, strengths, work environment, practicality and others' opinions. Specifically, interests and financial compensation were two crucial factors that Chinese Canadians considered. Ethnicity and family intertwined to play different roles throughout Chinese Canadians' career development: while some indicated no influence from either aspect, others described influential roles particularly at the beginning stages of their career development. Practical and theoretical implications as well as future research directions are discussed.