Exploring perspectives of parents on challenges of parenting children born from interracial relationships : a gestalt field perspective

Abstract

The phenomenon of interracial couples who are also parents is on the increase in South Africa, since one in every four marriages is interracial. An empirical study was undertaken to conduct applied, exploratory, descriptive, evidence-based research to describe the perspectives of interracial parents as related to Gestalt Theory, parenting challenges and strategies towards a sense of self and cultural identity of their children. A qualitative approach utilizing an open ended questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with six interracial parent couples was transcribed and analysed. The study concluded that interracial parent couples’, in respect of dealing with societal-non-acceptance of themselves and their “mixed” children, utilize several strategies including avoidance and focusing on the positive; that certain aspects play a vital role in the formation of their children’s sense of self and cultural identity such as religion or faith and both parental identities.The implication of this research is that despite the challenges there are no marked effects on their children’s identity and that interracial parenting strategies must be sound.

Die voorkoms van gemengde ras pare asook gemengde ras ouerskap is tans in Suid Afrika besig om toe te neem, met een uit elke vier huwelike wat gemeng is. ‘n Empiriese studie wat aangepas, beskrywend en ondersoekend van aard is, asook bewyse lewer oor Gestaltteorie, gemengde ras ouerskap uitdagings en strategiëe ten opsigte van persepsies van hul gemengde ras kinders se kulturele identiteit en selfsin. ‘n Kwalitatiewe benadering met gebruik van ‘n vraelys en semi-gestruktuureerde onderhoude met ses gemengde ras ouerpare is getranskribeer en kwalitatief geanaliseer. Die studie het bepaal dat die gemengde ras ouers ten opsigte van sosiale verwerping of aanvaarding van beide hulself en hul gemengde ras kinders gebruikmaak van sekere strategiëe insluitend ontwyking en positiewe benaderings en fokusse; wel glo dat sekere aspekte ‘n rol speel in die vorming van hul gemengde ras kinders se kulturele identiteit en selfsin, byvoorbeeld geloof en beide ouers se kulturele identieite. Die implikasie van die navorsing toon dat, nie te min die ouerskap uitdagings wat gemengde ras ouers ervaar, daar geen merkbare effekte op hul kinders se identiteit is nie, dus dat gemengde ras ouerskap strategiëe effektief moet wees.