Expectations of Canadian Life, Actual Post-Arrival Experience, and Pre-Arrival Information Seeking: Results from a Study on Bangladeshi Immigrants in Canada

In this poster, I present findings from my doctoral study on the transitional information practices of Bangladeshi immigrants in Ontario, focusing on the tensions between pre-arrival expectations and actual experiences of Canadian life and on pre-arrival information practices. I conducted surveys (n=205) and semi-structured interviews (n=58) to understand my participants’ settlement information practices. It is evident in my study that there is a significant gap in Bangladeshi immigrants’ expectations of Canadian life and actual post-arrival experience that can be analyzed in terms of information experience, especially in terms of employment expectations and mental preparedness for changes in life circumstances