dc.description.abstract | Mixed descent identities span ethnic, religious, and cultural identities as well as
race. This thesis addresses the multi-layered identities embodied by young men of
mixed descent in relation to their ideas and lived experiences of home. I have
adopted a feminist methodological approach to my research and have used three
different types of methods to conduct this research: one to one interviewing (with
repeat interviews), written electronic diaries and photo-voice.
Previous research on mixed descent and the home has located people of mixed
descent as 'homeless' (see Ifekwuingwe, 1999, Garimara, 2002 and Carton,
2004). I place young men of mixed descent aged between 16-19 in homes, both in
terms of dwelling spaces and wider ideas about belonging. The space of the home
becomes a cultural site of their own identities and their family identities.
Religious and cultural identities both via material possessions and emotional
signifiers affect the identity of these young men and their definitions and
experiences of home. These multiple identities are seen within the space of the
home, particularly for those inhabiting the parental home. I address the multiple
web of identity which these young embody via their religion, culture, ethnicity,
and in some cases language. I move beyond the location of mixed race households
and place this research inside the home space for young men of mixed descent.
Alongside which I explore the idea of home as 'stretching' (Gorman-Murray,
2006) beyond the scale of the private domestic into the public realm. | en_US |