Biracial Identity Theory and Research Juxtaposed with Narrative Accounts of a Biracial Individual
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Biracial Identity Theory and Research Juxtaposed with Narrative Accounts of a Biracial Individual Simon Nuttgens
Published online: 22 June 2010 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010
Abstract With the increase in mixed-racial parentage in North America comes increased scholarly activity intended to bring greater understanding to the biracial experience. Such efforts, while undoubtedly informative and helpful, fall short when set aside the actual narrative accounts of a biracial individual’s life experience. In this paper I first explore the typical, negative, portrayal of the biracial experience found within social scientific literature, and then compare this with the narrative accounts of a biracial individual. Through this exercise it is shown that factors such as the specific racial parentage and socio-cultural context can have a positive effect on what usually is viewed as a problematic psychosocial experience. Keywords
Biracial identity Narrative identity Narrative inquiry
In North America, evidence suggests that the population of biracial individuals is rapidly increasing (Hall 2001a, b). It is likely that this rise is the result of increasingly tolerant public attitudes towards mixed-race marriage (Root 2001). However, even with more tolerant attitudes, accompanied by a widespread shift away from racial realism which views race as divisible into succinct essential groupings, race continues to have immense social and political relevance within North American society. For those deemed white, the idea of race serves as a vast source of unearned privilege within all facets of life; for those deemed coloured, it means susceptibility to countless forms of prejudice and racism. What, then, does it mean for those whose race falls somewhere in between? If, because of interracial parentage, one’s race does not fit neatly into a socially prescribed category how, then, is one to experience oneself within a racialized society? Racial identity S. Nuttgens (&) Athabasca University, Athabasca, AB, Canada e-mail: [email protected]
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development theory is meant to answer this question. The notion of racial identity is considered important in terms of shaping attitudes towards oneself, towards others in one’s racial group, and towards other racial groups, including majority and minority groups (Poston 1990). In this article I examine biracial identity in terms of the fit between the empirical and theoretical literature, and the actual life experience of a biracial individual. To begin, I present a view of the biracial experience informed by conventional biracial theory and empirical research. This is followed by a brief narrative account of Karen,1,2 a biracial individual of mixed Aboriginal-European decent. Karen’s story serves as a precursor to juxtaposing the narrative accounts of her experience with the conventional biracial literature. I conclude with a summary of key differences noted between biracial theory and research and Karen’s lived experiences.
The Biracial Experience Accordin
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