Immigrant family members negotiating preferred cultural identities in family therapy conversations: a discursive analysis

Abstract

In this article we present a discursive analysis of how immigrant family members relationally recognize and co‐articulate with each other's preferred cultural memberships during family therapy conversations. This article draws from a qualitative study of family therapy conversations with a sample of sixteen video‐recorded sessions with nine immigrant families and their therapists, and from separate interviews with each family member. Selected segments of therapy conversations and subsequent individual interviews were transcribed verbatim for the analysis. We show exemplars of how therapists help immigrant family members move beyond dis‐preferred cultural membership ascriptions (i.e. misrecognition) by foregrounding cultural identities family members deem more appropriate. We conclude by discussing how this preference‐animated research can be useful for practitioners to help immigrant family members co‐construct cultural identities that suit them better as individuals and members of a family. Practitioner points Misrecognition occurs when immigrant family members’ preferred cultural identities are disregarded or not acknowledged in family conversations and interactions By foregrounding cultural identities at play in family therapy, practitioners can facilitate dialogues helping family members recognize preferred cultural identities Discursive research methods may enhance therapists’ awareness of how discursive negotiations of cultural identities influence family members’ relationships

Avaliação de unidades familiares não tradicionais e suas implicações para o cuidado de enfermagem

“…Sobre a dificuldade da expressão de sentimentos entre a mãe e o filho adotivo, pesquisadores na área da terapia familiar assinalam o fenômeno de desconsideração de identidades culturais de um membro da família e a falta de interações no caso de imigrantes (ou descendentes) e seus filhos. Isto ocorre quando se aspira que o filho converse ou interaja apenas de maneiras consistentes com as tradições e preferências dos pais, o que raramente se sucede (22) .…”

Discursive Methodologies for Couple and Family Therapy Research: Editorial to Special Section

“…In the scarce reviews of qualitative research studies in couple and family therapy (Gehart, Ratliff, & Lyle, ; Tseliou, ), one can get a taste of the existing variety in methodological approaches. More recent qualitative research (e.g., Givropoulou & Tseliou, ; Johnson & Piercy, ; Pylyser, Buysse, & Loeys, ; Sametband & Strong, ) demonstrates a constant evolution in the field. This variability in couple and family therapy qualitative research also reflects the growing diversity in qualitative research methodologies (see Willig, for an overview).…”

Discursive psychology: Capturing the psychological world as it unfolds.

“…Note that the interviews were conceptualized as an arena for generating ideological talk rather than a pathway to participants' beliefs or feelings. This kind of analysis has been a continuing theme in discourse research, particularly on topics such as gender, race, and nationalism (for a recent example on immigrant cultural identity in family therapy, see Sametband & Strong, 2018).…”