Mixed Race Parents

In July, Miri travelled to Yokohama, Japan, to present a paper at the International Sociological Association World Congress.

‘How Do Multiracial Parents Identify their Children? Multiracial Parents and the Intergenerational Transmission of ‘Race’ and Belonging’

Abstract:

“In both popular culture and academic discourses, being ‘mixed’ is becoming increasingly ordinary in Britain. While there has been growing research on mixed race children and young people, very little is known about how mixed race people racially identify and socialize their own children. Many adult mixed individuals have now become parents – prompting the fascinating question of how they, as parents, think about the racial identification of their own children. Parenthood engenders questions about one’s ancestry and the ‘right’ socialization of children: What may such socialization bode for the future and significance of racial categories and boundaries in Britain? Are mixed race parents adopting post-racial attitudes and practices, or is there evidence of intergenerational transmission of racial thinking and identification in these households? How do parents think about the relationships between ‘race’ and racial difference, national and regional forms of belonging, and family lineage/ancestry? These questions are pressing, especially in light of recent research which does not necessarily privilege ‘race’, or which examines the meanings and experiences of ‘race’ in connection with other axes of identification and experience. Based on a Leverhulme research grant, this exploratory study investigates theways in which mixed race parents think about and communicate ideas and practices concerning racial identities and racial difference, and is suggestive of how they foster their children’s (and their own) sense of belonging in the wider society. This research draws on interviews with 60 multiracial individuals (parents)  in both urban and suburban regions in England. A qualitative approach is crucial in critically examining not only racial categories/terms, but also trends reported about multiracial people in large scale data sets, especially those in the US.”

You can read more about the conference here:

http://www.isa-sociology.org/congress2014

In April 2014 Miri and Caitlin presented some initial findings of the project at the annual British Sociological Association (BSA) conference, held at the University of Leeds:

‘Do Multiracial Parents Want to ‘Pass Down’ Their Ancestral Heritage to Their Children?‘

Abstract:

Contemporary Britain is witnessing some significant changes to its population – namely the growth of both interracial partnering and of mixed individuals, as shown in the 2011 England and Wales Census. Accompanying the marked growth in interethnic relationships and the number of mixed people in Britain, many adult mixed individuals are or will have become parents themselves – prompting the fascinating question of how they, as parents, think about the racial identification of their own children. Becoming a parent is a major life transition, and this experience can engender questions about one’s ancestry and the ‘right’ socialization and classification of children: How will mixed race parents (as opposed to non-mixed parents in interracial relationships) racially identify their children and what may such decisions bode for the future significance of racial boundaries and identities in Britain?

While there has been growing research attention to mixed race children and young people in Britain, very little is still known about how mixed race people as parents identify and socialize their own children. How do such parents make these decisions, and what do they mean in practice? We will present some preliminary findings from this Leverhulme-funded project. In particular, we will focus upon whether our multiracial respondents think it is important to ‘pass down’ ethnic and racial heritage/cultural practices to their own children (or not).

To find out more about the BSA and their events, please visit:

http://www.britsoc.co.uk/events/bsa-annual-conference.aspx