That ways of parenting and childcare vary across cultures, contexts, and realities has been documented and argued for many times over. Nonetheless, as we are faced with an increasingly globalized and interconnected world, alongside a steady flow of migrant populations moving across borders owing to a number of different reasons, we are compelled to wonder how this influences the ways and experiences of parenting.
Something about keeping traditions alive
Something about nuclear vs. joint families
Something about having help from friends and family
In this project, we hope to investigate the ways in which non-Dutch parents navigate parenting while living away from their countries of origin, and the ways in which design can play a role in telling their stories. Through this exercise, we hope to use the tools of design in order to document the different aspects of parenting in an unfamiliar context (?), be it cultural, emotional, familial, or even logistical. Following this, we intend to undertake an attempt to build out a community of immigrant parents through workshops and meet-ups, as a way to create a system of support and exchange.