Through the eyes of a multiracial family: a collaborative intercultural positive autoethnography perspective

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to present the autoethnographic experiences of family members in a multiracial family. The unique aspect of this article is that four family members of a multicultural and multiracial family present insights into their experiences and interpretations of a police intervention in a public space in post-apartheid South Africa. Design/methodology/approach – The study uses a collaborative intercultural positive autoethnography (IcPosAE) perspective. The authors present an autoethnographic case vignette of their experiences from a systemic family viewpoint. Findings – Findings show how family members deal with racial prejudices in South Africa within a multicultural and multiracial family and how the family members transform the dividing experiences into multicultural and multiracial learning and self-development. Research limitations/implications – The study is limited to a selected theoretical and methodological research framework and the selected case vignette. It reflects specific autoethnographical experiences, which may not be generalised. Practical implications – The study provides insight into the experience of racial prejudice of family members from different racial categories in post-apartheid South Africa and offers a unique view of different family member perspectives on how to transform racially biased experiences into intercultural learning and individual transformation. Social implications – Autoethnography can be used for reflection on how individuals, multicultural and multiracial families can deal constructively with racialised prejudices in public spaces and use them to create intercultural learning and self-development in a racially divided society. Originality/value – This article contributes to collaborative IcPosAE from a systemic multicultural and multiracial family perspective.