Translating cultural differences into new forms of family dialogue
Bridging Culture Shock
Thesis project by Jiawen Xue
Academic year
2025-2026
Bridging Culture Shock explores how cultural differences affect communication, identity and belonging within Chinese immigrant families in Europe. The project focuses on children aged 9 to 13, growing up between Western school values of independence and self-expression, and Chinese family values connected to discipline, academic achievement and parental authority.
The thesis proposes Bridge, a family-centered interactive system composed of a child-side wearable device, a parent-facing application and an AI-supported cultural interpretation system. Through voice messages, images and everyday moments, the project turns misunderstandings into opportunities for listening, learning and dialogue, helping families build empathy and a more flexible dual-cultural identity.
Supervisor: Andrea Pinchi
Co-supervisor: Alice Mela
Project from the courses of
