Narrative as Identity: Postmodernism, Multiple Ethnicities, and Narrative Practice Approaches in Social Work

Abstract

This paper uses the experiences of those who claim more than one ethnic identity to highlight the shortcomings of cultural competence models that presume neat, bounded cultural translation from one generation to the next. Such conceptualizations of ethnic identity tend to pathologize those who embrace multiple ethnic identities, best understood as the improvisation of changeable narratives. This article uses examples from a qualitative study of people with one Samoan and one Pakeha (white) parent in Aotearoa/New Zealand, to explore the particularities of the social and political context on identity constructions. It discusses the utility of postmodern, narrative practice approaches, proposing that such approaches are best able to empower people who hold multiple ethnic identities.