This book describes the experiences of parenting in intercultural relationships. It includes mostly an exploratory study (Bhugun, 2016) which addresses the dynamics of parenting among intercultural couples, in which one parent is Anglo-Australian and their opposite-sex partner is a non-Anglo-Australian person who has migrated to and lives in Australia. The focus on culture and the term intercultural encompasses the different notions of ethnic, interethnic, racial, interracial, religious, interfaith and country of birth.
The growth of immigration and social diversity, changes in social and political ideologies and advances in global technology have contributed to increased cultural exchange in human relationships and an increase in intercultural marriages and relationships in Australia and worldwide. Consequently, the intercultural parenting experience is emerging as an important phenomenon within society. Intercultural parenting remains an understudied phenomenon in Australia and globally. Parenting experiences can be both challenging and rewarding for intercultural couples and their children. Much of the Australian research has focussed on parenting styles among different cultural groups. The focus of discussion in intercultural relationships tends to be on the children of couples from mixed cultures and races, rather than on the experience of the parents themselves. This book seeks to address the gap. In this book, relationship refers to the coupleās dyad, that is between the mother and father as the focus is on the coupleās lived experiences of parenting and their relational dynamics. Intercultural couple refers to participants comprising an Anglo-Australian-born with a partner who migrated to Australia from another country.
This book aims to explore the experiences of intercultural parents raising their children together. It seeks to explore the tools parents use to negotiate cultural differences in their child rearing practices, and explore the challenges, as well as the benefits and opportunities of intercultural couples in their parental practices. To achieve this, key questions that guided the interview included: What are the experiences of intercultural couples in parenting their children? What are the challenges and conflicts of intercultural parenting? What are the positive experiences of intercultural parenting? How do intercultural parents negotiate cultural differences and integrate cultural values in their parenting styles? How can the findings inform intercultural parents and helping professionals?
The focus is on the experiences of intercultural parents who do not seek professional help. This book reflects on findings that may assist current and future intercultural parents, add to the family systems theory respecting intercultural parenting, and suggest possible organisational policy and clinical implications for therapists and counsellors.
Key Terms
The literature uses many terms interchangeably to describe different aspects of cross-cultural dynamics and the use of those different terms can sometimes cause confusion. It is therefore important to outline the definition of the terms in order to provide the reader with a clearer picture regarding how the terms were used in this study.
Culture was defined as a unique set of customs, languages, religious beliefs, attitudes and behaviours shared by a group of people and passed on from generation to generation (Sodowsky, Lai, & Plake, 1991; Sue & Sue, 1990). These collective beliefs, values and behaviours provide members with a shared sense of identity (Triandis, 1994). Culture is seen as the factor influencing variations in intercultural parenting practices (Forehand & Kotchick, 1996), and as the driving force for parental behaviour (Ogbu, 1981). It is important to understand the broader definition of culture and that intercultural parents and couples may identify with more than one culture or subculture. In this study, the perception of the participants themselves regarding their cultural differences was emphasised, rather than the authorās perception.
Intercultural is the interactions between members of different cultures (Ting-Toomey, 1999). In this study, the term intercultural encompasses the different notions of ethnic, interethnic, racial, interracial, religious, interfaith and country of birth.
Intercultural couples are adults in a relationship who come from different cultural backgrounds (Perel, 2000; Ting-Toomey, 1999).
Parenting is the process of promoting and supporting the physical, emotional, social and intellectual development of a child from infancy to adulthood (Belsky, 1984).
Intercultural parents in this study are intercultural couples who are in a married or de facto relationship and raising biological children together in a single house (Crippen, 2008).
Intercultural parenting results from intercultural couples who are raising children conjointly.
Transcultural is the new family culture that is created when the cultures of two people from different backgrounds intersect (Crippen, 2008)
Acculturation is the cultural exchange that occurs when two or more cultures intersect, resulting in changes to the dynamics of both the migrating and host cultures (Berry, 1990).
Reverse acculturation is the process where an acculturated individual practices his/her heritage culture in the host culture (Kim & Park, 2009).
Current Knowledge About Intercultural Parenting and Relationship
Since the rise of globalisation and multiculturalism, scholars from around the world have recognised the need to explore cultural issues relating to mixed marriage and intercultural families (Bornstein, 1991; Bystydzienski, 2011; Nakazawa, 2003; Qian & Lichter, 2007; Romano, 2001; Rubalcava & Waldman, 2004; Singla, 2015; Sullivan & Cottone, 2006). Culture is a subjective and fluid concept and has therefore been defined widely and diversely by academics. Ogbu (1999) defined culture as āa peopleās adaptive way of lifeā (p. 74) which comprises of the customary ways of peopleās behaving, the assumptions, expectations and emotions underlying those behaviours, the artefacts that are meaningful to the people, political and social institutions, and cultural patterns of talking, feeling and thinking. Intercultural couples, with differences in cultural values, and previous exposure to different cultural practices with respect to such things as rules, norms of behaviour and cultural expectations, can experience internal conflicts and stress during the relationship, especially when they have children (Bustamante, Nelson, Henriksen, & Monakes, 2011; Negy and Snyder, 2000; Romano, 2001).
Falicovās (1995) studies of cross-cultural families concluded that continuous interaction with a spouse from a different culture can be compared to the experience of a migrant in a new culture. Like immigrants, intercultural couples are reported to experience multiple and often conflicting cultural realities, for example, African or Asian versus European Australian culture. As such, intercultural couples can experience different levels of acculturation which can have significant impact and influence on family relations and parenting styles. It is possible to identify paucity in research on acculturation processes experienced by intercultural couples and parents, especially for non-clinical intercultural couples and parents. Howeve...