Marital Conflicts and Social Obstacles of Help-Seeking Behavior from the Point of View of Iranian Immigrant Women Living in Australia

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

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Abstract

The aim of the current research was to investigate post-migration family dynamics and challenges among Iranian immigrant women in Australia. An ethnographic method was employed to explore this aim. Participant observation, open-ended in-depth interviews and informal conversations were employed to collect the data. A two year participant observation was conducted to directly observe the interactions between Iranians and Australians and to research if these interactions had any effects on the Iranian family system. 21 in-depth interviews with Iranian women and 11 interviews with key informants were conducted in Farsi and in English. The recorded data was transcribed and analyzed concurrently until data saturation. To clarify the ambiguous points or to add new ideas, these interviews were followed- up by informal interviews and conversations during the two and half year data collection. Data was analyzed by using NVivo software and employing a thematic analytic approach. Findings show that post-migration loneliness may enrich marital relationship and mutual dependence among Iranian couples. However, factors such as conflict over women’s rights and conflicts over gendered roles would increase marital conflicts among immigrant couples. Lack of social support and limited social networks was hindered women from seeking help. The results about possible post-migration changes in couple relationships may help in assisting immigrant couples and couples who are inclined to migrate.

Keywords

• Marital Conflict
• Social networks
• Immigration
• Iranian Women
• Australia

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