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Da Silva, Philomena (2019) The lived experience of second-generation, Indian, Hindu women in a cross-cultural romantic relationship: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Doctoral thesis, London Metropolitan University.
Background/Aim:
Preserving cultural lineage is paramount within the Indian culture, and extant literature has highlighted the challenges second-generation, Indian women endure, particularly in the context of romantic relationships, where cultural values differ between the second-generation and their parents. Consequently, engaging in a cross-cultural, romantic relationship (CCRR) may be perceived to threaten cultural continuity and such decisions can have an impact on the women’s psychological wellbeing, their romantic relationship and their relationship with their families. However, although existing literature has focused on Indian culture, little is known specifically about the Indian, Hindu (IH) community where traditions around marriage have derived. Given the prevalence of these challenges and the limited research within the field of Counselling Psychology (CP), this study aims to explore the experiences of second-generation, IH women living in the United Kingdom (UK) who are in a heterosexual CCRR, to elicit an in-depth understanding of their experiences.
Design/ Method:
Participants were seven, second-generation, IH women aged between 24 and 40 who have been in a CCRR for a minimum of three months. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the data was analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).
Results:
From the analysis, three superordinate themes emerged: ‘Predetermined Identity’(which explores how the women experience their identity, and is the basis of the challenges encountered from engaging in a CCRR), ‘The two worlds don’t meet’ (which explores the decisions the participants make and must consider due to their contrasting cultural value systems), and ‘Enduring challenges’ (which explores how
the women navigate the challenges they face and the subsequent impact on their relationship and personally).
Conclusion:
The findings highlight the challenges second-generation, IH women who are in a CCRR may endure, particularly within their familial, societal and romantic relationships. These findings hope to support existing research in CP and within cultural and relationship research. The research discusses implications of the findings for clinical practice.
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives 4.0.
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