Child language brokering as a family care practice: Reframing the ‘parentified child’ debate

Sarah Crafter,Humera Iqbal

doi:10.1111/chso.12485

Sarah Crafter, Humera Iqbal

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1111/chso.12485

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Journal: Children & Society	Publication Date: Jul 18, 2021
Citations: 11	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Universidade Aberta, University College London

Abstract

AbstractThis paper explores the perspectives of 29 child language brokers living in the UK who interpret for their family following migration. They were presented with vignette stories depicting a potentially conflictual situation between a language broker, a parent and an adult ‘other’ in a position of power or authority. Drawing on debates about language brokering as a family care practice, the ‘parentified child’ and discussions about non‐normative childhoods, the analysis highlights how the role played by the adult ‘other’, coupled with a sometimes‐hostile sociocultural context, can exaggerate tensions or facilitate interactions in the parent–child relationship. The young people's views and experiences illuminate how they navigate these complexities.

Highlights

We focus on the dynamics of family relationships within the arena of child language brokering, which is an area of research concerned with young people from migrant backgrounds who translate and interpret for family, community and peers who do not speak the local language
An important debate within the child language brokering literature focuses on the types of ‘adult- like’ work that young people undertake, which can lead to concerns about the impact this has on the parent–child relationship and children's wellbeing (Kim et al, 2017; Tomasi & Narchal, 2020)
The increased responsibility taken-o n by child language brokers has been likened to the concept of ‘parentification’, ‘adultification’ or ‘role reversal’, which suggests parents’ authority is suppressed within the family dynamics because child language brokers find themselves in situations where they are assigned roles usually reserved for parents (Titzmann, 2012; Weisskirch, 2007)

Summary

Introduction

We focus on the dynamics of family relationships within the arena of child language brokering, which is an area of research concerned with young people from migrant backgrounds who translate and interpret for family, community and peers who do not speak the local language. The language broker may be mediating between their family members and an adult ‘other’ who is in a position of authority or power (Ceccoli, 2020; García-Sánchez, 2018).

Results

Conclusion