BETWEEN RACE; BEYOND RACE

At the heart of my book is an exploration of how Indian-White biracial young adults interpret their social reality, especially with regard to their experience of identity. Based on recent research involving young adults, all of whom had one Indian and one White parent I examine four research objectives: what social identities Indian-White biracial young adults (18 21) chose to identify with; how their identities were constructed and experienced; why their identities were shaped or constructed in particular ways; and what the factors were that influenced their choice of social identities. I chose life histories as a method in line with my view of social identity as a resource that people draw on in constructing personal narratives, which provide meaning and a sense of continuity to their lives. I assumed that by asking the participants to tell me stories of their lives I would have gained access to how biracial young adults interpret their social world and what they believe about themselves. All of the primary research took place within the Durban area.