2.1 Family

Parents and caregivers remain the most powerful influence on children's racial identity development. How families discuss race, or choose not to discuss it, significantly shapes how children see themselves and others.

Cultural capital, a term from sociologist Pierre Bourdieu (1986), refers to the knowledge, skills and values that families pass down to their children. This includes how parents talk about race, which cultural traditions they maintain, and what messages they give about their heritage. Families with strong cultural capital around race help their children navigate social environments with confidence.

Building on this, researcher Tara Yosso (2005) developed the concept of cultural community wealth community cultural wealth in glossary - which is correct?, which recognises the often overlooked strengths in minoritised communities. One key aspect is familial capital – the identity, solidarity and sense of community that families share. For example, research shows that for Black boys, parental racial socialisation, especially from fathers, fosters cultural pride and resilience against racism (Hope et al., 2020; Carter et al., 2017).

Many families work hard to build positive racial identity at home, only to find their children encountering contradictory messages elsewhere. Western parenting approaches sometimes conflict with other cultural traditions. For instance, while some parenting advice discourages excessive praise, Black children face societal bias and negative media stereotypes that can harm their self-esteem (Owens, 2022). Research by Lozada et al. (2016) found that Black boys who receive affirming messages about their racial identity from families are more likely to engage in positive social behaviours.

What families can do

• Share stories of positive role models from your heritage.
• Address children’s questions about physical differences honestly.
• Celebrate cultural traditions and explain their significance.
• Communicate with schools when racial incidents occur.
• Provide books and media with diverse, positive representations.