Identity, empathy and ‘otherness’: Asian women, education and dowries in the UK
2009; Routledge; Volume: 12; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1080/13613320802650923
ISSN1470-109X
Autores Tópico(s)Gender and Women's Rights
ResumoAbstract This article will examine Asian women's views on the practice of dowries in the UK. The research is based on 20 in‐depth interviews with Asian women studying for a Social Sciences degree in a 'new' (post‐1992) university in the southeast of England. All of the interviews were tape‐recorded and the data transcribed. The data was analysed using methods of grounded theory as discussed by Strauss and Corbin and developed by Charmaz. I sought to develop a Black feminist standpoint from which to conduct research with Asian women. This was based upon a notion of 'shared identity' and a 'shared empathy' with respondents. Revealing personal details about my own life sought to minimise power differentials in the research process. The research reveals that Asian women's entry into higher education has an impact on how they see the practice of dowries in the UK. Many of the women indicated that higher education was used as a source of empowerment for them, which gave them greater choice within the family regarding the practice of marriage and dowries. Within this context, the research reveals that Asian women's identities are shifting and incorporating new modes of being. The research also demonstrates that a Black feminist standpoint is a useful way forward in understanding the lives of women who continue to be silenced and 'othered'. Keywords: Asian womendowrieseducationempowermentBlack feminism Notes 1. The custom of dowry giving is not part of Islam, although it is on the increase amongst several Muslim cultures such as those of Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin, including those who have settled in the UK. However, the mahr is a compulsory part of the Islamic marriage contract. It is a gift of money, possessions or property made by the husband to the wife, which becomes hers on marriage (Islam for Today 2008). 2. These remarks were made to me in November 2005 when my husband and I decided to leave city life and bring our children up in a quiet, rural village on the south coast of England. 3. Sikhs often get married in a Gurdwara (temple) and the marriage ceremony usually involves sitting down for a long period of time (often up to several hours).
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