[Do you like me French or Tamil?]

Area of Science:

• Cross-cultural psychology
• Family dynamics
• Cultural adaptation

Background:

• Cultural identity development in second-generation immigrants.
• Intergenerational communication challenges in multicultural families.
• The impact of cultural oscillation on parent-child relationships.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the emotional experiences of a French-born Tamil girl navigating dual cultural identities.
• To facilitate mutual understanding and empathy between a daughter and her mother from different cultural backgrounds.
• To investigate the role of group development and translation in resolving cross-cultural family conflicts.

Main Methods:

• Cross-cultural consultation involving a young girl of Tamil origin and her mother.
• Group development techniques to foster understanding.
• Translation services to bridge communication gaps.

Main Results:

• The daughter expressed suffering due to oscillating between two cultures.
• The mother and daughter achieved a deeper understanding of each other's pain.
• Shared deep love was recognized, despite differing cultural expressions.

Conclusions:

• Group development and translation can effectively resolve intergenerational and cross-cultural conflicts.
• Understanding diverse cultural expressions of love is key to family cohesion.
• Successful cultural adaptation involves acknowledging and integrating different cultural influences.