That word “abuse” is a big problem for us: South Sudanese parents’ positioning and agency vis-à-vis parenting conflicts in Australia

This study explores South-Sudanese parents’ accounts of parenting conflicts in Australia through oral narratives collected in an interview setting. The paper takes a historical perspective looking back to the early years of settlement, focussing on the way participants positioned themselves and voiced their parental agency (and lack of it). The findings of this study contribute to our understanding of cultural conceptions of good parenting and intergenerational conflicts in culturally and linguistically diverse migrant communities. The study provides empirical evidence for the utility of positioning theory in unpacking identity positionings vis-à-vis moral duties and rights and social forces as entextualised in storylines (Slocum-Bradley, 2009). The results of this study demonstrate that South Sudanese parents felt disempowered in their parenting role and feared the consequences for their children's future. The study has implications for education and parenting in intercultural contexts and the study of identity work in oral narratives.