Browsing by Author "Brassell, Jamie Miriam"
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- ItemAn exploration of the identity formation of adolescents growing up in bicultural households in South Africa(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-03) Brassell, Jamie Miriam; Conradie, Karlien; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Educational Psychology.ENGLISH ABSTRACT : This study explored the identity formation process of adolescents being raised in bicultural households in the South African context. A bicultural household can be defined as a family in which one parent belongs to a specific cultural group, while the other parent belongs to another. In this way, the children grow up with exposure to two sets of cultural norms, practices, values and characteristics. It is believed that the culture with which an individual identifies plays an important role in how the individual views him- or herself and the world (Erikson, 1974). This study aimed to explore how being raised in two cultures can affect the adolescent’s personal identity development. Various theoretical perspectives were applied to understand the process of identity formation in adolescence. Both Erik Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development and James Marcia’s identity status theory describe adolescence as a challenging period in which individuals explore various identity domains to make decisions regarding who they are. Sameroff’s transactional model of development emphasises the importance of parent-child interactions, which is viewed as a reciprocal relationship in which parent and child shape each other during the identity development process. According to social constructionism, individuals create and attach their own meaning to these interactions and thus develop views of themselves and others. As this study aimed to explore the meaning attached to the experiences of the participants, a qualitative, interpretivist approach was used. The participants were selected by means of purposive sampling and asked to volunteer if they wished to participate. Data were collected through a process of individual interviews, questionnaires, photo elicitation, and field notes. The data were then analysed through a narrative approach, to explore the meaning in the participants’ personal stories. The research findings indicate that bicultural adolescents experience various challenges during their identity-formation years; however, there are also some advantages. It was also found that various factors contribute to participants’ stronger identification with a particular cultural group. The participants shared their experiences of how being raised with two sets of cultural norms had influenced the development of their characteristics and values. Furthermore, the findings indicate the extent to which bicultural adolescents feel the need to adapt their behaviour in the presence of family members from each culture.