Interactive Presentation Mediating Between Cultures: Intercultural Parents Raising their Children Transculturally in Japan more

Sat, May 21, 15:30-16:30 Asia/Tokyo

The impact of increased ethnic diversity in Japan has attracted considerable attention in the field of multicultural studies in Japan, with rapidly changing demographics, social structures and ideologies as a result of the growth of immigration in the country and worldwide. Immigration and its outcomes have also initiated a new trend towards an increase in intercultural marriages in Japan. In particular, the increase in the number of families with multicultural backgrounds in Japan has been the focus of much research in recent years. Raising children transculturally, which adds several new dimensions to the dynamics of parenting, can be challenging for multicultural families. Consequently, the intercultural parenting experience is emerging as an important issue in Japanese society. What are today's trends and challenges of intercultural parents raising their children in two or more cultures in Japan? Other than cultural background, do systemic and contextual factors also impact the way parents raise their children? The first half of this presentation, will be focused on reporting findings from a small-scale qualitative study of the experiences of three intercultural couples raising their children transculturally in Japan. The second half of this presentation will be interactive with participation from the audience to discuss the common benefits and opportunities of transcultural parenting as a source of strength rather than a weakness.