Arts

Navigating the life transitions of becoming a couple and becoming parents: Experiences of Tongan-Australian intercultural couples

Kate Johnston-AtaataPhD candidate, School of Social SciencesMonash University22 October 2014

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Methodology and SampleMethodology / method: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA); repeat in-depth individual interviews (16 participants x 2 = 32 interviews of 30 – 165 mins)

The 8 couples…Cultural background: 5 female ‘Australian’ / male ‘Tongan’ couples; 3 the reverseAge: Women 22-31 years; Men 22-42 yearsEducation: 10/16 participants university-educated (women as / more educated)Employment: Women - 4 in paid employment, 2 at-home parents, 1 studying; Men – 7 in paid employment; 1 seeking new career following injuryRelationship history: Men – all men had prior relationships, 3 had prior children; Women - 3 had no prior relationships, none had prior childrenCurrent relationship: 5 couples cohabited pre / outside marriage, 3 had children pre / outside marriage

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Some findings- Despite diversification of family life, norms remain very

influential (particularly around partnering)

- Promises of reflexivity vs the realities of constrained choices

- Partnering and becoming parents as profoundly social processes

- Strategic deployment of ‘difference’ (whether cultural, gender, socio-economic) and ‘tradition’

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Contribution of this research- A dynamic approach to research on cross-cultural relationships- A richer perspective on research exploring the transitions of

partnering and becoming parents