Mixed family life in the UK : an ethnographic study of Japanese-British families

Description

This book offers a nuanced picture of mixed family life in the UK. Specifically, the book explores how parents from different backgrounds create a place of belonging for their children, while also negotiating difference and attempting to transmit various aspects of their cultures, including religion, hobbies, language and food to their mixed children. Based on data collected from 26 months of fieldwork, the author concludes that the intergenerational transmission of culture, instead of being tied to the idea of "national culture", is actually more organic and fluid, allowing individuals to share their "cultures", from traditions and customs to preferences and habits, with the next generation. As mixedness increasingly becomes the norm in our global society, the book will be of interest to students and scholars of race, ethnicity and family studies, as well as social workers, school teachers, counsellors, and parents and kin of mixed children. Front Matter ....Pages i-ix Introduction (M. Nakamura Lopez)....Pages 1-37 Doing Family: Exploring Everyday Lived Culture (M. Nakamura Lopez)....Pages 39-72 Bilingualism: A Gift or a Burden? (M. Nakamura Lopez)....Pages 73-103 Food Choices in Mixed Families (M. Nakamura Lopez)....Pages 105-134 Kin: Intergenerational Transnational Relationships (M. Nakamura Lopez)....Pages 135-171 Forming a Mixed Family Culture: In Search of Home and Friends (M. Nakamura Lopez)....Pages 173-210 Conclusions (M. Nakamura Lopez)....Pages 211-228 Back Matter ....Pages 229-238