Marriage Migration, Patriarchal Bargains, and Wife Abuse: A Study of South Asian Women. (February 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chaudhuri, Soma; Morash, Merry; Yingling, Julie
• Is Part Of: Violence against women. Volume 20:Number 2(2014:Feb.)
• Page Start: 141
• Page End: 161
• Publication Date: 2014-02
• Subjects: domestic violence -- patriarchal bargain -- South Asia; Abused women -- Periodicals; Women -- Crimes against -- Periodicals; Violent crimes -- Periodicals; Femmes victimes de violence -- Périodiques; Femmes, Crimes contre les -- Périodiques; Crimes violents -- Périodiques; 362.8292
• DOI: 10.1177/1077801214521326
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1077-8012

Abstract

This article contributes to the literature on wife abuse by using the patriarchal bargaining framework, which highlights the issue of agency as women strive to achieve their goals within the constraints of family and culture. Study participants were recent South Asian immigrants to the United States. Narrative analysis revealed that patriarchal constraints in natal families, culture, and expectations of benefits gained through marriage influenced many of the women to migrate for marriage. When husbands enforced extreme patriarchy with abuse, women's personal efforts to contain abuse were largely ineffective. However, advocacy agency interventions did help some women break out of extreme patriarchy.