Living in a multiethnic family is a challenge that implies that the couple, the families of origin and the social context allow and facilitate the possibility of combining differences and negotiation in the best possible way. These families seem to be a micro example of what it means to live in a multicultural society nowadays at the macro level. Differences and similarities are played everyday in the life course of the couple and their families, requiring the entire family group (including previous generations) to redefine the overall arrangement of their cultural balance: it becomes necessary to rethink relational dynamics, but especially to reconsider the hierarchies of values, both at an individual and at a family level, due to the different cultural belonging of the partners. The aim of the paper is to show the results of a research which investigates 35 multiethnic families (with life stories collected for each partner) living in the centre of Italy. In particular, the paper focuses on some specific questions: what connections can be identified between the process of negotiation and, on the other hand, the conflict involving the different identities of multiethnic couples in their family life? How do cultural and religious values affect family and personal identity? What is the relevance of cultural and family belonging for the partners when they begin their life together? How does the situation change over time, if it changes at all?
Identities and values in multiethnic families: some evidences from a qualitative study on mixed couples
CRESPI, ISABELLA
2011-01-01
Abstract
Living in a multiethnic family is a challenge that implies that the couple, the families of origin and the social context allow and facilitate the possibility of combining differences and negotiation in the best possible way. These families seem to be a micro example of what it means to live in a multicultural society nowadays at the macro level. Differences and similarities are played everyday in the life course of the couple and their families, requiring the entire family group (including previous generations) to redefine the overall arrangement of their cultural balance: it becomes necessary to rethink relational dynamics, but especially to reconsider the hierarchies of values, both at an individual and at a family level, due to the different cultural belonging of the partners. The aim of the paper is to show the results of a research which investigates 35 multiethnic families (with life stories collected for each partner) living in the centre of Italy. In particular, the paper focuses on some specific questions: what connections can be identified between the process of negotiation and, on the other hand, the conflict involving the different identities of multiethnic couples in their family life? How do cultural and religious values affect family and personal identity? What is the relevance of cultural and family belonging for the partners when they begin their life together? How does the situation change over time, if it changes at all?I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
