Working with and for communities: A collaborative study of harmony and conflict in well-functioning, acculturating families

The present research was conducted by the Centre for Applied Cross-cultural Research (CACR) in collaboration with the New Zealand Federation of Ethnic Councils (NZFEC) following a needs assessment of research priorities in the ethnic communities. Thirty-nine parents and adolescents from Asian, Middle Eastern and African backgrounds were interviewed about their experiences in New Zealand. The interviews were then analysed and organised into themes in line with a grounded theory approach. Two major themes emerged: (1) Normative Issues for Parents and Children and (2) Migration and Acculturation Issues, each of these with several sub-themes. Findings revealed that parents and adolescents differed in their expectations across a number of important domains (e.g., privacy, trust, and relationships) and that intergenerational conflict, which arises from normal developmental processes, may be exacerbated by the acculturation process. The research offers important insights about families in cultural transition to immigrant communities and policy makers; it also advances acculturation theory through its focus on the family as a unit and its examination of both harmony and conflict in acculturating families.