ABSTRACT
This chapter examines how Somali parents in Sweden understand and pursue the wellbeing of their children. I focus on two issues that are pertinent to parents’ viewpoints and strategies in relation to their children’s wellbeing, namely: navigating Islamic teachings, Somali culture, and Swedish norms; and creating family practices and relations that foster strong family ties and support. I situate parents’ aspirations for their children in the context of the former’s daily experiences of racism and, in particular, their experiences of marginalization (or epistemic injustice) in their encounters with different institutions working with their children, such as schools. I explore how a multidimensional concept of wellbeing can be useful in understanding the interplay between on the one hand the racial and cultural othering of the parents as knowing and capable child-carers, and on the other hand their parenting practices and challenges.
