A dialogical approach to navigating cultural heritage and self-identification: narrative accounts of UK-born young adults from immigrant backgrounds

According to the Office for National Statistics, in 2021, 28.8% of births in England and Wales were to non-UK-born mothers, reflecting a steady rise from 25.5% a decade earlier, and 16.5% in 2001. This paper uses Bakhtin’s theory of dialogism and narrative methodology to analyse two narratives from a broader study involving 15 British-born immigrant-background young adults (ages 18–29) living in the UK. It illuminates the complex interplay of self and other in the intersubjective shaping of cultural identity during young adulthood—a pivotal yet understudied period rich with potential for autonomy and self-definition. Utilising a multimethod narrative approach, including journaling, interviews, and co-analysis, the study highlights the co-constructed nature of the participants’ narratives, integrating insights from both the researcher and the participants. This method fosters participant agency, aligning with Bakhtin’s concept of self-authoring, while encouraging renarration and reflection on the constraints and freedoms inherent in their interactional and subjective self-identifications. By extending dialogic theory to ethical and agentic actions and zooming in on young adults’ dialogic relations with human others, time, and privilege, this paper demonstrates how identity emerges as a shared yet unique process—one that neither passively succumbs to dominant cultural narratives nor is shaped independently of the sociopolitical context. The findings offer fresh insights into the nature of identification as storied against—and in dialogue with—the discursive backdrop of the multicultural UK and draw attention to the need for more nuanced research and policies supporting the growing cohort of UK-born and UK-based young adults with migratory backgrounds.