“My Children are Norwegian but I am a Foreigner”: <i>Experiences of African immigrant parents within Norwegian welfare society</i>

Abstract

The article examines how the role of being a parent contributed to experiences of inclusion and exclusion by the adults of eight families with African backgrounds in Norway. We present reflections on ethnicity and citizenship, and on Norwegian parenting values and practices as a background to descriptions on how the African adults experienced encounters with Norwegian adults such as neighbours, other parents, and professionals. The role of being a parent opened a range of opportunities for social interaction and learning. The interactional episodes described by the adults did, however, seem to be constrained by universalistic understandings of ‘good parenting’ and a focus on children’s rights and parental responsibilities consistent with Norwegian practices. This contributed to a sense of being different and morally suspicious. In this situation, the African adults found themselves without an equal position from where to voice alternative parenting values and with their parental authority weakened.