1. Arts Navigating the life transitions of becoming a couple and becoming parents: Experiences of Tongan-Australian intercultural couples Kate Johnston-Ataata PhD candidate, School of Social Sciences Monash University 22 October 2014

2. Methodology and Sample Methodology / method: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA); repeat in-depth individual interviews (16 participants x 2 = 32 interviews of 30 – 165 mins) The 8 couples… Cultural background: 5 female ‘Australian’ / male ‘Tongan’ couples; 3 the reverse Age: Women 22-31 years; Men 22-42 years Education: 10/16 participants university-educated (women as / more educated) Employment: Women - 4 in paid employment, 2 at-home parents, 1 studying; Men – 7 in paid employment; 1 seeking new career following injury Relationship history: Men – all men had prior relationships, 3 had prior children; Women - 3 had no prior relationships, none had prior children Current relationship: 5 couples cohabited pre / outside marriage, 3 had children pre / outside marriage 2

3. Some findings -Despite diversification of family life, norms remain very influential (particularly around partnering) -Promises of reflexivity vs the realities of constrained choices -Partnering and becoming parents as profoundly social processes -Strategic deployment of ‘difference’ (whether cultural, gender, socio-economic) and ‘tradition’ 3

4. Contribution of this research -A dynamic approach to research on cross-cultural relationships -A richer perspective on research exploring the transitions of partnering and becoming parents 4