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

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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

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