The Cultural-Historical Framework for Understanding the Bi-cultural Context for Second-Generation Chinese Australian Children’s Transition to School

This chapter delves into the bi-cultural context shaping second-generation Chinese Australian children’s school transition, through a cultural-historical framework. Grounded in Vygotsky’s cultural-historical theory, it asserts the indispensable role of culture in child development and critiques the decontextualized study on child development in existing literature. Employing Veresov’s model, it distinguishes between broad socio-cultural context, bi-cultural context, and the social situation of development to analyze the construction and reconstruction of the bi-cultural context. A case study illustrates these concepts, emphasizing the dynamic interaction between children’s development and the bi-cultural context in which children are situated. The chapter argues for a non-judgmental view of culture and stresses the need for understanding the complex interplay of cultural contexts in child development. By focusing on the second-generation Chinese Australian children’s experiences, it contributes to the cultural-historical discourse on child development, advocating for a holistic approach that considers the bi-cultural nuances of children's transitional experiences.