2. To examine the inter-relationships between culture, gender
and consumption within the context of diasporic Indian families
living in Britain. Diasporic families have become prominent because
of films like Bend it like Beckham and Bhaji on the Beach and
programmes like The Kumar's; Goodness, Gracious Me The research not
only focus on how consumption is used to negotiate cultural
boundaries within the families but also examines differing
gate-keeping roles in resisting or promoting the negotiation of
cultural boundaries . The research studies the following aspects:
1. changing pattern(s) of power, identity and gender roles in
ethnic families 2. address the gap on gender roles within the
family. 3. examine the family as part of a social system 4. examine
the factors which make a familys interpersonal relations culturally
embedded 5. examine the family unit at a more disaggregate level
The research is drawn from the family stories as told and
experienced by daughters . Thompsons criteria of gender
construction (i.e. socio-historical contexts, cultural and
structural contexts, valued personal outcomes and daily interaction
processes) to structure our review of family and gender
issues,
3. Socio-Historical Contexts The 2001 census indicated that
over a million people of Indian descent live in Britain,
representing one of its largest diasporic groups. Diasporic
communities is a constant renegotiating between past and present,
modernity and traditions , self and others , and differing cultural
values . This process of renegotiation may be moderated through
communities and networks Family, Cultural and Structural Contexts
The family represents an important site where culture, consumption
and gender intersect. The social constructionist approach is
followed where gender is understood as the product of social
processes and as embodying cultural meanings of masculinity and
femininity
4. Gender is not neatly equated with his or her sex. Rather men
and women not only vary in their degree of masculinity and
femininity but have to be constantly persuaded or reminded to be
masculine or feminine. Men and women have to do gender rather than
be a gender , most significantly via social interactions e.g.
voices, bodies, dress and consumption (such as food and alcohol)
Culture represents an evolving and ongoing set of norms and values,
where acculturation is characterised by conflict, creativity,
democratisation, disagreement, innovation, internal or external
industrialisation and modernisation.
5. Understanding of the family is located within the
structuralist theme, notably within social networks where the
community represents the societal structure which supports and
maintains the family. Diasporic families are dynamic, evolving and
adapting to their surroundings over time. We view the family as a
collection of interacting sub-systems (dyads, triads) that affect
each other, whilst being influenced by world views such as culture
. Children are socialized into collectivist cultural values of
co-operation, duty, favouritism, interdependence, nurturing,
obedience and reliability. Loyalty to the family is regarded as
dharma, i.e. sacred duty with the need to enhance family status
representing one of the most important goals which [British] South
Asian families
6. Valued Personal Outcomes and Daily Interactions British
Indian families interact with differing cultures on a daily basis.
These interactions led to situations when cultural understandings
and gender roles are challenged, negotiated and restructured .
Family gate-keeping is a collection of beliefs and behaviours that
ultimately inhibit a collaborative effort between men and women in
family work by limiting mens opportunities for learning and growing
through caring for home and children. Consumption, Family and
Gender Consumption sits at the intersection of culture and gender
in family life. The relationship between consumption and gender is
strongly linked to cultural systems Consumption has been
genderedwomen have been seen as consumers and consumption as a
feminine activity, while men have been seen as producer .
7. To understand how consumption is used within diasporic
families to negotiate cultural boundaries. To identify the
differing roles of family members in resisting or promoting
negotiation of cultural boundaries. To show how these roles are
gendered. To examine the different gendered roles played by mothers
and fathers as cultural gate-keepers
8. The ethno-consumerist framework is based on three
assumptions. That behaviour is grounded in culture. That cultural
categories are dependent upon both historical and socio-cultural
forces as well as current practices. That culture is constantly
changing and, therefore, so are categories of
9. Sixteen British born young adult Indian women were
recruited. We interviewed young women who identified themselves as
daughters and the embodiment of their familys cultural values.
Participants were interviewed over a period of thirteen months on
two separate occasions.
10. The first interview concentrated on understanding the
underlying issues of family life for Indian women living in
Britain. The second set of interviews followed up the emergent
themes like 1. issues of gender and power 2. community and gossip
networks 3. conflicting parental attitudes towards retention of
Indian cultural values.
11. It depicted the central role of parents as the primary
gate-keepers in the processes of resisting or promoting negotiation
of cultural boundaries. For all these women their grandparents
reflected their own cultural identity. Grandparents feared that
their grandchildren might lose their Indian cultural values.
12. From their parents generation, it was their fathers
immigration stories which were predominant. These stories about
their fathers were often subtly mingled with stories of racism and
difficulties. Outcome of their fathers immigration experiences - a
desire to achieve in order to fulfil their fathers expectations.
Most of these women spoke English at home - rarely used their own
ethnic language. Fathers advocated this Mothers preferred
13. Stories of daily life included descriptions of a variety of
struggles linked to cultural identity, power and gender. In
contrast to their fathers, mothers took a strong stance against
cultural adaptation. Mothers instilled Indian cultural values into
their children. Fathers predominantly encouraged watching English
language media. Mothers appeared to deliberately enforce using
Indian language media, whether that was radio, television or the
cinema
14. Communities and networks are central to the process of
cultural (re)negotiation (Appadurai 1990) which confronts immigrant
families. The issue of family reputation is important to all our
families but parents took different views on how to maintain and
enhance it. According to fathers , reputation meant success by
their children. Mothers strong believed in maintaining the family
reputation by ensuring that the Indian community only spoke
positively about their family.
15. Sons are given the highest value in Indian Culture whereas
daughters are not. Brothers often directly challenged parental
decisions that affected their female siblings. Brothers acted as
cultural enablers, providing their sisters with freedom to express
their identities.
16. Familys relationships within their own cultural world
highlighted the crucial role of inter generational and
intra-generational gate-keeping, and particularly the different
stances of mothers and fathers towards the resistance or promotion,
respectively, of cultural negotiation.
17. One of the central mechanisms which women use to create
family life is the organising and provision of food Secondly food
was used to maintain, perpetuate and reinforce family networks. The
production and consumption of food in families also illustrates
different gender and socialization processes. The ability of our
participants to cook Indian foods produced the only notable
behavioural differences in terms of religious categories.
18. Alcohol was a way that fathers sought to counter balance
their wives cultural influence and power. Fathers encourage their
children in the moderate consumption of alcohol, as a direct
challenge to their mothers Fathers encouragement of alcohol
consumption directly challenged Indian cultural values and
indirectly matriarchical power within the family.
19. Clothing often proved to be another contentious issue
between parents, and between mothers and daughters. Mothers were
central in influencing their daughters views of what might be
deemed to be suitable clothing Daughters often resisted their
mothers attempt to control their clothing. Clothes purchased
reflected fashion tastes, representing collusion between mother and
daughter It also helped observe mothers and daughters purchasing
and sharing of brand information.
20. In terms of high involvement or conspicuously consumed
products (Mason 1981, 1998) our participants and their siblings
acknowledged their direct involvement, for instance when buying
capital intensive products, such as electrical goods or cars, where
brand imagery is important. Fathers regularly made the final
purchase decision, but their daughters narratives showed the
central role of mothers in the decision making process.
21. T The study provides opportunity to understand the dynamics
of power, identity and gender in several instances. For eg. The
father emphasized on his struggle, hardwork and other masculine
duties combined with the need to adopt with British society In
contrast mothers role is to transmit culturally appropriate values
in their daughters. Power conflicts (e.g. language; media;
consumption) in the family between mothers and fathers; and between
parents and children.
22. The influence of the father over widening their daughters
horizons beyond the traditional world (eg education and
professional work) High Role of social influences in consumer
decision making Marketing Implications Products and services which
promote enhanced access to wider opportunities. Marketing
Implications Marketing positioning strategies could be developed in
a better way of symbolic products and services by marketers
23. Mothers were expected to pass their cultural values(food,
clothing, life experiences) to their daughters(future mothers)
Marketing Implications Mothers stories as protectors of cultural
values could be linked to campaigns. (e.g. promoting family life
via preparation of meals). Sons as bridges for their sister in
various consumption activities and father son collaboration to
break some culturally embedded rules of society for their daughter.
Marketing Implications Advertisement featuring brother sister bonds
or Protective family to market product and services
24. Information exclusively from university students was used.
Ultimately limiting results to similar Indian families living in
Britain, who are prepared to support female higher education.
Secondly, small group of respondents is another limitation. There
is huge scope for widening the range of Participants in terms of
social class, socio-economic standing, education,ethinicity,
geographical origin and religion. This case only involved talking
to daughters and did not capture the independent voices of all the
family members Finally, family lives are not static and continue to
adapt, grow and change over time.
