South Asian women: Identities and conflicts.

Arpana G. Inman

Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology · 2006 · 125 citations · 27 references

Concepts

TL;DR

The study examined how education, religiosity, ethnic identity, and racial identity influence cultural value conflict among first‑ and second‑generation South Asian women. The authors assessed cultural value conflict in intimate relations and sex‑role expectations among 193 participants. Results showed that higher religiosity predicted more intimate‑relations conflict in second‑generation women, internal ethnic identity increased such conflict in first‑generation women, both internal and external ethnic identity heightened conflict in second‑generation women, and racial‑identity dissonance raised sex‑role expectation conflict only in second‑generation women.

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of education, level of religiosity, ethnic identity (internal and external), and racial identity statuses (conformity, dissonance, resistance, and awareness) on cultural value conflict for first and second generation South Asian women (N = 193). Cultural value conflict was examined in two areas, intimate relations and sex-role expectations. Results revealed that level of religiosity was more predictive of intimate relations conflict for second generation than first generation women. Furthermore, higher ratings in internal ethnic identity predicted greater intimate relations conflict in first generation women, while both internal and external ethnic identity predicted intimate relations conflict in second generation women. Finally, higher dissonance scores in racial identity predicted greater conflicts in sex-role expectations for second generation women alone.

References

27