Developing a sense of belonging among biracial individuals: A case study exploring the social context

Eid, Farah Mamdouh Ashour; Parker, Samuel

Abstract

Previous research highlights that biracial people may struggle to fit into their racial groups due to their dual identities. However, much of this research focuses on identity development and a sense of belonging within an educational context. This study aimed to explore how biracial individuals experience a sense of belonging to their racial groups within a social context. Six biracial participants aged 18-27 participated in semi-structured online interviews to explore their experiences qualitatively. A thematic analysis was conducted and three themes were identified: immediate family guidance on being biracial, extended family impacts on feeling connected to racial groups, and language shapes feelings of inclusion or exclusion to racial groups. The findings suggest that immediate family can enhance a person’s sense of belonging. However, there were varied experiences regarding how extended family impacts sense of belonging. Language proficiency was an important factor to connect with people from the same racial backgrounds. Further research is needed to explore other factors such as religion and perceptions as they can impact feeling a sense of belonging.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 17, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Oct 13, 2023
• Publication Date: Oct 13, 2023
• Deposit Date: Dec 6, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 6, 2023
• Journal: SN Social Sciences
• Print ISSN: 2662-9283
• Publisher: Springer
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 3
• Issue: 10
• Article Number: 180
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43545-023-00770-z
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/11489776
• Additional Information: Received: 27 May 2023; Accepted: 17 September 2023; First Online: 13 October 2023; : ; : The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.; : The study was conducted following the British Psychological Society (BPS) Code of Ethics and Conduct. Ethical approval to conduct the study was granted by the Psychology Research Ethics Committee at the authors’ institution.; : All participants gave their fully informed consent before participating in this research.