1. Objectifs

Intentions :
« The principal objective of this article is to describe the parent–child transmission of understanding and emotional reaction to the WOT [war on terror] in South Asian Muslim immigrant families in Park Extension, Montreal, and to understand some of the factors that influence this transmission, in particular the familial patterns of identity assignation and feelings of helplessness and agency. The specific objectives are: (a) to document parent–child communication around international events (natural disasters and political events including the WOT), (b) to describe families’ perception of the school’s role regarding the international situation and the WOT, and (c) to analyze the influence of factors such as family patterns of identity assignation and coping strategies on family communication patterns about these events and their perception of school discussions. » (p. 602)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«To be eligible to participate in the research project, families had to be of Pakistani or Bengali origin and have children aged between 8 and 18 years. [...] The sample set consisted of 20 South Asian families, 15 Bengali and 5 Pakistani. Parents’ ages ranged from late 20s to early 50s, with 5 in the 19–30 age group, 11 in the 31–40 age group, and 2 each in the 41–50 and 51–60 age categories, respectively. » (p. 602)

Instruments:
Guide d’entretien semi-directif

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse de contenu

3. Résumé

« In multiethnic societies, the consequences of the war on terror (WOT) for Muslim youth are still not well understood and the school’s role remains to be defined. This article documents the parent-child transmission of understanding and emotional reaction to the WOT in South Asian Muslim families in Montreal, Canada. [...] Results indicated that the families’ emotional reactions and communication about these events were interlinked with family patterns of identity assignation. The majority of parents avoided talking with their children about the WOT and felt that these issues should not be discussed at school. Most children shared their parents’ feelings of helplessness and familial patterns of identity assignation. Parents reporting a greater sense of agency displayed less avoidance, had a more complex vision of self and other, and favored the school’s role in helping children make sense of these events. These results suggest that school interventions in neighborhoods strained by international tensions should emphasize immigrant parents’ empowerment and provide spaces where their children feel comfortable expressing their concerns. » (p. 601)