Engaging sub-Saharan African migrant families in Australia: broadening definitions of family, community, and culture

ABSTRACT

Traditional family characteristics within sub-Saharan African migrant families settling in Australia are challenged in the process of acculturation. These challenges gain prominence when sub-Saharan African migrant families become involved with the Child Protection System. In order to successfully engage these families, Child Protection practitioners will need a deeper understanding and appreciation of sub-Saharan African migrants’ parenting practices. This qualitative study fills that gap by using the dynamics of cultural negotiation to explore sub-Saharan African migrants’ parenting practices in the context of Australia. Findings show the participants’ negotiation of existing beliefs and values as they incorporate and or reject new ones within the new environment. Thus the study contributes insights for a deeper understanding of the participants’ post-migration parenting practices and experiences.

KEYWORDS:

• Parenting
• sub-Saharan Africa
• culture
• migration
• child protection

Acknowledgements

The research team would like to acknowledge all study participants for being generous with their time and sharing their personal experiences. We also acknowledge the organisations that helped during data collection.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Authors’ contributions

HTM conceptualised and executed the study, analysed the data and led the manuscript. BJA contributed to the review and analysis of the data. BS contributed to the write up of the manuscript and reviewed its intellectual contents. VWT contributed to the write up of the manuscript and reviewed its intellectual contents. AR contributed to the design of the project, evaluated the study concept and materials. All authors contributed to the development of this manuscript, reviewed drafts of the manuscript and approved the final version.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hilda Tafadzwa Mugadza

Hilda Tafadzwa Mugadza is a PhD student with 14 years working experience in the areas of Law, Criminal Law, Social Work and Child Protection.

Blessing Jaka Akombi

Doctor Blessing Jaka Akombi has a background in Public Health. She is a Senior Research Officer with the School of Social Sciences and Psychology at Western Sydney University.

Vera Williams Tetteh

Doctor Vera Williams Tetteh is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Linguistics at Macquarie University. Her research interests include migration, African migrant settlement, and everyday intercultural communication.

Brian Stout

Professor Brian Stout is the Deputy Dean of the School of Social Sciences and Psychology at Western Sydney University and has a long record of teaching and research in criminal justice, youth justice, probation and social work.

Andre M. N. Renzaho

Professor Andre Renzaho has a background in Global Health and International Development. He is currently a Professor of Humanitarian and Development Studies at Western Sydney University and an established researcher.