Who in the world are you? : a sociological inquiry of the lived experiences of cultural hybrids

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of individuals who identify with multiple cultural identities. As this world becomes increasingly global and more and more individuals migrate, it is becoming increasingly common for individuals to identify with more than one culture and/or nationality. The rationale for this inquiry has its roots in a determination to understand the potentially complicated process of how cultural hybrids negotiate their identities throughout their lives. A qualitative methodological approach was used in this dissertation. Nineteen participants, twelve females and seven males aged twenty-five years and over were involved in this study. Their narratives were collected in a semi-structured interview format. Snowball sampling technique was utilized to recruit this purposive sample. The participants who participated in this research had i) a Maltese and a foreign parent and/or ii) have lived outside of Malta for at least five years when they were young and/or iii) identify with more than one culture, one of them being the Maltese culture. The narratives were audio-taped and later transcribed. When a thematic analysis of these interviews was conducted, several themes emerged. All participants underlined that the fact that they had been exposed to multiple cultures in their formative years, meaning that they identified with multiple cultures, at a different extent, depending on the issue and/or the context. During the analysis of the narratives it was clear that the participants felt that although initially it had been painful to become accustomed to multiple cultures, they felt enriched from this experience, which made them feel superior over others who had not benefitted from this exposure. It was also evident that the fact that they lived in and in-between cultures, they were more conscious that identity – gender, sexual, etc. – involved performativity. They felt that in their advantageous position as insiders/outsiders of different cultures, they attained the cultural competence to reflectively decide which aspects of which cultures they could utilize in their own lives. Another interesting issue which emerged in these discussions, was the issue of 'home‘ and belonging‘. For some home embodied a space/place, for others this was linked to people they felt close to. Competence in two or more languages was essential to help them feel connected to peers or significant others. Initially acculturation in two or more cultures was perceived in negative light because it proved painful, and those involved were often ostracized by the in group. With time though they feel they have benefitted. This experience has helped them acquire cultural intelligence — namely openness, appreciation of cultures and empathy. Intersectionality, standpoint and performativity theories provided the epistemological underpinnings in this research study.