Not so liquid living? Production

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Not so liquid living? Production reproduction
in Bangladeshi Pakistani womens lives.

• Harriet Bradley
• Presentation to GENET conference
• March 2008

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Aims

• To challenge dominant sociological accounts of
  modernity
• To explore the impacts of reproduction on womens
  productive lives
• To do so using the framework of intersectionality
  by focusing on a specific gendered and ethnicised
  context the lives of British Bangladeshi
  Pakistani (B/P) women

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Liquidity and choice

• Liquid modernity a condition in which social
  forms (structures that limit individual choices,
  institutions that guard repetitions of routines,
  patterns of acceptable behaviour) can no longer
  and are not expected to keep their shape for
  long, because they decompose and melt faster than
  the time it takes to cast them, and once they are
  cast for them to set.
• (Bauman Liquid Times (2007) 1)

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New big narratives Bauman, Beck, Giddens

• Collapse of collectivities, rise of individualism
• Disembedding from old communities, class
  loyalties
• Individuals facing multiple choices,
  obligations to choose and ethos of
  self-responsibility
• Rampant unchecked consumerism
• Transcendence of old barriers of time space

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Whose modernity?

• This framework does not apply to many (most?)
  sections of UK society, yet is still sociological
  orthodoxy
• Most peoples lives are embedded and restricted
  temporally and spatially
• Most peoples lives are framed by multiple
  positionings in the nexus of social divisions
  class, gender, ethnicity etc ie intersectionality

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Intersections

• Class- Many Bangladeshi Pakistani families
  live in deprived areas and experience
  working-class disadvantage. Middle-class minority
  can play the qualifications card, but do not
  benefit from it as much as white women can
• Gender Womens lives are defined by sex-typing
  at work and at home
• Ethnicity Ethnic stereotypes operate, but also
  B/P communities also display some distinctive
  practices values
• Religion- Muslim groups are currently demonised
  and are also highly visible because of dress
  practices

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The research Ethnic minority women and
workplace cultures (with G. Healy, C. Forson
P. Kaul)

• Part of EOCs Moving On Up initiative
• Carried out in 2006-7
• Focus on three groups among UKs BME population
  considered particularly disadvantaged in the
  labour market Black Caribbeans, Bangladeshis,
  Pakistanis

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METHODS

• A multi-level research design
• Scoping interviews 23 (covering public, private
  voluntary sectors, TUs)
• Focus groups 11 (3 London, 3 Bristol, 1
  Birmingham, 4 NHS)
• Six case studies LA, HEI, retail, health care, 2
  finance sector
• 10 interviews with women, 2 with managers
• Several interviews with ethnic business owners
  and employees
• 130 BME women interviewed

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Constraints 1 Place, time

• Women do not have free access to all the worlds
  spaces
• In many public spaces women face the threat of
  sexual and racist violence
• Cultural and religious ascriptions put limits on
  where women may be permitted to work
• P/B women newly arrived from Asia experience
  alien spaces.

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Restrictions on choice

• I think location is a big thing for me, cos my
  parents dont want me to go like all the way to
  Cribbs Causeway. (Bangladeshi woman)
• I mean I think Bangladeshi women are capable of
  doing lots of things at home, rather than going
  out. Because thats the problem. Because most of
  us women we dont have a car. (Bangladeshi woman)
• The nursing profession is not seen as a good
  profession at all. Firstly you are involved a
  lot more with male patients and the male
  colleagues than a female. And also youve got
  shift roles to do and youve got the nights,
  hours in a very odd pattern which does not go
  with the Muslim culture. The Muslim beliefs.
  (Pakistani woman).

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Race and space

• There was some boys and there was a swing, and
  one of my son wanted to use the swing. And then
  he was spitting on my son and saying What are
  you doing here? Get out of our country and
  everything Paki and all that. .. . And they
  were spitting on us, they were telling us to get
  out of the park and everything. (Bangladeshi
  woman)
• Where I live, the British National Party was
  based there, the headquarters and most of the
  people there are a bit and we dont really go on
  the High Street, its like we get abuse all the
  time. Even now we avoid the High Street.
  (Bangladeshi woman)
• its usually like you have to come to the
  Jobcentre and then its just like for women,
  going to a Jobcentre is like whoa, its a big
  thing you know. (Bangladeshi woman)
• She says all her family is here so she doesnt
  want to go far away. Because she likes it
  because theres Bengali people here and stuff.
  (Bangladeshi woman translating for another).

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No go zones

• I mean I want to become an accountant. With
  things like that there's always strings attached
  where you have to be able to freely mix, go to
  parties, go to certain events, to be known, to be
  recognised and thats something Islamically I
  couldnt go because Islam does say youre not
  allowed to free mix for the sake of socialising.
  Yes if its for business fine but where do you
  draw the line? I mean my brothers an accountant
  as well and he told me he had to go to the pub,
  some bars, to exclusive places. It wasnt a
  scene where he wanted to go, but because to get
  to the top you need to mingle with the right sort
  of people and thats where you find them. I think
  Islam restricts us in that sense in the Western
  culture because were really not allowed to do
  that. And I think its harder for a woman to be
  in that arena than a man. I love my religion and
  there are certain things that I wouldnt
  compromise and that again is bars, pubs, clubs.
  Its a no go zone for me at all and thats a
  personal preference for me as well. Not just
  Islamic.

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Constraints 2 Marriage domesticity

• Pateman sexual contract framework remains
  valid today
• Family expectations put limits on the choices
  women can make about jobs
• Domestic labour in large, poor families can be
  heavy exhausting
• Women may be required to contribute labour to
  family businesses

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Marriage norms endogamy

• She did go back home to get married in fact,
  because my father was under a lot of pressure.
  External family pressures really dont help women
  in our society. After marrying my sister off my
  father realised thats something hed never do
  again because its too much for the daughter,
  bringing somebody over who doesnt speak the
  language, doesnt know the culture, money issues,
  financial burden and the rest of it (Bangladeshi
  woman).

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Domestic rules

• When you live with in-laws theres an automatic
  cultural law that you have to wake up in the
  morning and make breakfast. At lunchtime eat the
  food, feed the parents. In the evening cook
  again because you need to feed the family. And
  its the girl who does it. And thats the
  tradition. Thankfully my in-laws arent so much
  like that but still its a cultural thing which I
  have to fulfil. Whether I fulfil it to the max
  is another question, but I have to attempt it and
  thats quite daunting. Even though theyre quite
  modern that still hangs on us and thats
  something we cant get away from. And its nice
  though, its fantastic. Id love somebody to do
  that for my mother. Shes not getting any
  younger. So I guess its give and take. If I
  expect if for my own mother why wouldnt somebody
  else expect it for their mother? And because its
  a cultural norm you accept it. (Bangladeshi
  woman)
• A lot of men feel as though for a wife to work
  means that you cannot afford to run your
  household. So its a pride issue as well. And
  also you do have your other issue of selfishness
  of some men wanting to have their fresh hot rice
  and curry at lunch time plus evening. I will not
  eat the same curry twice. (Bangladeshi woman)

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Constraints 3. Motherhood

• Having children shown repeatedly to be major
  block to womens career progression (Bradley 1999
  etc)
• Recent research
• Gregory Connolly professional women found to
  move down career ladder after maternity
• Paull birth of first child leads to move to PT
  wk
• YouGov poll 2007, Cromer poll 2004 showed
  widespread maternal profiling among hirers
• Children become priority for most women at this
  stage
• Long hours culture inhibits mothers working, so
  many choose PT work
• Family-friendly policies have limited impact

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Maternal responsibilities

• But I again think that being a housewife is a job
  in itself. Its a very important job. Because I
  have six nephews and nieces and just think to
  myself, gosh, their mothers the first point of
  contact. If they dont bring them up well or
  teach them the good things in life when theyre
  young, and if theyre out at work they dont get
  to spend that quality time with the child, and
  then you have problems when the child grows up,
  feels neglected and starts rebelling and the rest
  of it. So how do you deal with that? But then
  again people work around it. If you had extended
  family, grandparents maybe you can leave your
  child with thats fantastic. But a lot of people
  dont have that luxury. And again childcare,
  its expensive you know. (Bangladeshi women).

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Family comes first

• I think maybe because Muslim women their main
  drive is their family. First and foremost its
  their family. Because for me yes, I come to work
  but always my number one priority is the family.
  Maybe I come to work because I cant afford to
  stay at home. So economically yes, they will like
  to do well but their comfort and their
  well-offness is in terms of having a happy
  family. (Pakistani woman)
• Id probably look for part time work and not a
  completely full-time post these days, simply
  because you know my daughters are still young,
  they still need mummy all the time. I had my
  little one who used to say Well dont go all
  day, I dont want you to go all day.(Bangladeshi
  woman)

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Different priorities?

• I think culture does come into it because being a
  Muslim my priority is my family so my aim would
  be to go home, rather than go to the pub and get
  drunk or whatever so I think that there is a
  cultural difference, a priority difference..
  Maybe Im being superficial between white and
  coloured people. I know my own community, our
  priority would be to go home and be with our
  family, with our kids whatever, rather than go to
  the pub, get drunk, have a good time. But again
  like I said I could be generalising. (Pakistani
  woman)

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Constraints 4. Racism sexism

• Muslim women face Islamophobia because of their
  religion
• They also face colour racism stereotyping
  because of their appearance
• There is hostility and racist abuse from clients
  and customers
• Both racist sexist assumptions bar women from
  some jobs from promotions

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Racism and stereotyping

• What happens is if you turn up to a workplace
  with shalwar kameez with the scarf round your
  head, you get treated differently. Cos
  recently Ive started to wear more shalwar kameez
  at workBut I just feel when I walk into a
  meeting, the response I get now, you know, they
  dont see you as not the manager typeOr you
  know not a professional Im doing exactly the
  same type of work that I used to do wearing you
  know like a western suit. (Bangladeshi woman)
• I had it a couple of months ago where he called
  me a Muslim terrorist and what have you Because
  he wanted to open an account and he didnt have
  the correct ID. I explained it to him, its
  because of money laundering and its because
  obviously the procedures that weve got. And he
  said Its your lot that are the terrorists that
  do money laundering not me .(Pakistani woman).

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Visual perceptions

• Nasiha In some jobs appearance is everything
  isnt it? I mean when you wear your headscarf
  and all that and youve got dark skin..
  Sometimes, some secretary jobs because you know
  youre the first point of contact. You have to
  look presentable and all that. If you have a
  headscarf some white people
• Yasmin They might threatened especially now most
  of the people after the terrorists they feel even
  on the bus if youre just sitting there if youve
  got a headscarf they think you know, God knows
  what's going to happen.even if we dont do
  anything we wont feel approachable and people
  like the people that are recruiting you - might
  think that the customers not going to feel
  very.(Bangladeshi women)

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People differ

• I feel Ive fully integrated but I know that
  other women at work who cover their head or dress
  in a more ethnic way comments are made and
  theyre not promoted as they should be
  (Pakistani).
• You want to be normal. You dont want to feel
  different, you dont want to feel special.
  Theres no reason to. You know were just
  average were like everybody else. Yes were
  slightly different in ideas and thoughts but no
  two people are the same. (Bangladeshi

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Racist bars to multiethnic harmony

• The anti Muslim and the media promotion of
  possible potential terrorism without any real
  grounds to it, its making moderate Muslims like
  myself worry what the future is here and whether
  were going to be discriminated against. I
  don't think we have a voice. There isnt anybody
  who will listen to people like us. I understand
  there are the disaffected youth in the minority,
  the extremists, but their behaviour and the
  retaliation or how the police or the government
  are coping with it its causing real issues for
  people like us. I dont think there's any real
  communication and thats what needs to be
  addressed. And it will have a knock-on effect on
  where we work, how we are seen on the street.
  Most of us do want to integrate but Im not sure
  they will be allowed to and thats going to
  affect our lives, our childrens lives.
  (Pakistani woman)

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CONCLUSIONS

• B/P womens lives are very limited as to choice
• They are placed at particular intersections of
  class, gender, ethnicity, religion
• Class- m/c women more likely to integrate to
  have quals, careers
• Maternity is a major source of lack of choice for
  all ethnic groups of women, marriage more of a
  constraint for B/P and marriage is almost
  universal for them
• Maternal penalty a powerful effect

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Conclusions

• Motherhood and domesticity continue to structure
  the lives of women albeit in different ways
  according to the patterns of intersectionality

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Experiencing the maternal dilemma femme maison

• I have been plunged into social and
  psychological conditions of mothering that are
  actually worse than my mother encountered in the
  1950s. Social mobility has meant no grandparents
  to call on and no extended family networks for
  support. Lack of funding for nannies, the tyranny
  of the 3pm school gate and the isolation of the
  modern nuclear family means that, in this
  so-called post-feminist era, I have little more
  choice than my own mother.

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CONCLUSIONS

• It is quite untrue that structures that limit
  individual choices, institutions that guard
  repetitions of routines, patterns of acceptable
  behaviour are melting decomposing.
• Reproduction production are much more central
  preoccupations for these women than consumption
• Family and communities remain powerful collective
  forces
• There arent many people in Muslim families who
  talk of the importance of their being happy,
  because the whole unit of the family is where
  your pleasure would have to be subsumed (Hanif
  Kureishi)
• The big narrative of modernity is
  masculinist, fitting only the lives of w/c white
  males

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Related publications

• Gender (Polity 2007)chapter on reproduction
• Ethnic minority and workplaces cultures what
  works and what doesnt (H.Bradley, G.Healy,
  C.Forson and P.Kaul) EOC 2006
• Ethnicity Gender at Work (H. Bradley G.
  Healy) forthcoming, Palgrave July 2008
• Gendered futures production and reproduction in
  womens lives In F.Simonstein (ed) Reprogenetics
  the Future of Gender Springer, forthcoming
  2009