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:
‘多种族父母如何识别自己的孩子?多种族父母与“种族”和归属感的代际传递’
摘要:
“在流行文化和学术话语中，“混血”在英国越来越普遍。虽然对混血儿童和年轻人的研究越来越多，但对于混血人士如何在种族上识别自己的孩子并与之交往，我们知之甚少。许多成年混合个体现在已经为人父母–这就引出了一个有趣的问题:作为父母，他们是如何看待自己孩子的种族认同的?为人父母引发了关于一个人的祖先和孩子的“正确”社会化的问题:这种社会化可能预示着英国种族类别和边界的未来和意义?混血父母是否采取了后种族时代的态度和做法，或者在这些家庭中是否有种族思想和认同的代际传播的证据?父母如何看待“种族”和种族差异、国家和地区归属形式以及家族血统/祖先之间的关系?这些问题是紧迫的，特别是考虑到最近的研究并不一定是“种族”的特权，或者研究“种族”的意义和经验与其他身份认同和经验的联系。基于Leverhulme研究资助，这项探索性研究调查了混血父母思考和交流有关种族身份和种族差异的想法和实践的方式，并提示他们如何培养孩子(和他们自己)在更广泛的社会中的归属感。 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:
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).
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‘多种族父母想要把他们的祖传遗产‘传下来’给他们的孩子吗?‘
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