A Qualitative Exploration of Career Identity Development among "Dependent" Immigrant Women: Preliminary Findings
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to understand the process of career identity development among women immigrants arriving as applicants with dependent status. Past research has shown that most dependent applicants under the economic class of immigrants are women and constitute a group of skilled individuals capable of contributing positively to Canada’s economy. However, women arriving to Canada on a dependent visa have largely been ignored within immigrant literature. Exploring their career-related experiences upon immigration may assist in understanding career identity development within preand post-migration contexts. A qualitative inquiry, inspired by a grounded theory methodology, was carried out to identify themes relevant to immigrant women’s career identity development and their possible interactions. Six study participants were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling. Transcripts of semi-structured interviews conducted with each participant were analyzed using thematic analysis. Eight themes were generated, illuminating gender-specifi c experiences of women immigrants during their career journey. The findings may provide useful information to career counsellors who play a key role in helping immigrant women navigate through career transitions in a new country.
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