A new study by New University of Alberta researchers has found that kids are likely to be able to recall transitional moments you share with them, be it promotions or pets.
The research offers strong evidence that societal values significantly affect how people think about and recall events in their lives-and how we potentially carry old values and beliefs forward in a new country.
Psychology researchers Connie Svob and Norman Brown conducted interviews with two groups of participants, split evenly between people born in Canada and people whose parents emigrated from a country in upheaval.
Each group was asked to identify the 10 most important events in their lives, when they occurred and whether the event had a psychological impact on them.
The results paint similar pictures of what people considered important, but showed striking differences in terms of the milestone events that often served as a backdrop.
"We were mainly interested in the historical context and how that gets transmitted," Svob said.
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"When a parent has lived through a historical event, how does that get passed on to the next generation-and to what extent does it get passed on?" the researcher said.
Education, birth, death and marriage were among the top five major events mentioned by both groups, and most other major types of life events were separated by only a couple of percentage points.
What separated the groups were distinct elements or life markers that only appeared within one group.
Seven percent of what was labelled the conflict group recounted historical events their parents lived through, or their military service.
Among the non-conflict group, six percent cited attendance at a major sporting event, or the acquisition or loss of a family pet.
Svob said that determining what people retain from their cultural history has benefits in terms of helping them retain their identity.
But she notes that it also identifies lingering cultural issues related to ethnic out-groups-issues that become important to manage, especially in Canada's ever-expanding cultural landscape.
She hopes the results from the study can be used to develop ways of bridging these narratives to the Canadian context, ensuring that newcomers thrive in adopting the peace and harmony of their new home.