Methods of Enquiry

Abstract

Current research has a tendency to overlook the complex experiences of Chinese people. Available research continues to portray stereotypical constructions of Chinese individuals as being collectivist and conformist, in accordance with traditional values and practices. Cultural practices (either explicit or implicit) are said to affect and guide individuals’ belief systems, behaviour and ways of interacting with others. From Chapters 2 and 3, however, it appears that individual differences in terms of migration history, socio-economic backgrounds and political views may be significant in our understanding of contemporary British Chinese family life. The choices made by Chinese individuals in terms of their life trajectories may also help to unravel the day-to-day decisions and actions of Chinese parents. To avoid a one-dimensional viewpoint of British Chinese family life, it is clearly important to consider and incorporate individual differences within the Chinese diaspora. Equally important is the consideration of family diversity, as seen in Chapter 4. Chinese families in the UK cannot be assumed to follow the dominant ideal of the nuclear family or the extended family, and the prescriptive roles within it, as typically represented. By highlighting both diasporic and family differences, it will help challenge the existing literature, which provides a static cultural account of Chinese households and the relationships within.