Narrative Enquiry and Analysis: Exploring Narratives of Identity and Mixed Race in Singapore

Abstract

Racial categorization at the state level and personal experiences of racial identity are very important in Singapore. In this case study, I investigate the idea of mixed race, or mixed ethnic identity, in Singapore, using narrative enquiry and analysis. Illustrating how narrative can be used in research on identity, I discuss the process of carrying out 20 in-depth, narrative interviews in person and online, with individuals of mixed Chinese and European descent, seeking to encourage stories of what it means to be of mixed descent in this context. This narrative focus drew on the storied quality of social life and the stories people told, as I explored how individuals locate themselves within social structures: as mixed race within singular racial frameworks. The case shows how participants were closely involved in the research process, and how I sought to maintain a reliable and transparent progression from recruitment and interviewing, to analysis and writing.

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