Parenting ‘Mixed’ Children: difference and belonging in mixed race and faith families

Advances in using census data now make it possible to identify households where couples are parenting across ethnic categories. Despite parenting across racial, ethnic and religious boundaries being increasingly common, it is portrayed as though fraught with difficulties. The notion of ‘culture clash’ is frequently used to explain its problematic nature, with assertions that children are subject to identity confusion. Limited attention has been paid to mixed-family parenting in Britain. This exploratory research analysed census data and looked at how 35 couples from different racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds sought to give their children a sense of belonging and identity. The term ‘mixed’ is used to encompass a range of racial, ethnic and faith differences.