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A Critical Analysis of Fleeing a Forced Marriage As a Journey of Personal Transformation

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A Critical Analysis of Fleeing a Forced Marriage As a Journey of Personal Transformation Escaping discourse: a critical analysis of fleeing a forced marriage as a journey of personal transformation Amanda Muhleisen BBus (Hons), Swinburne University of Technology A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Faculty of Business and Law Swinburne University of Technology 2017 Abstract The purpose of this thesis is to analyse the concept of ‘escaping discourse’ in the sense of attempting to understand how individual agents who are born and socialised into a strict discourse are capable of escaping from that discourse and doing something different. The thesis takes as its data source the case of Jasvinder Sanghera as depicted in her memoir Shame (2007) that chronicles her escape from a forced marriage and the consequences she experienced thereafter. Sanghera was socialised into a discourse that promulgated adherence to the concepts of family honour, amongst which the practice of forced marriage was normalised. Her transformational journey of physical flight from the family home in order to avoid a forced marriage and her later establishment of the charity Karma Nirvana, are described in detail in her memoir. The thesis takes a qualitative approach towards addressing the research purpose. Critical discourse analysis, specifically sociocognitive analysis, is employed as the methodology of critical inquiry, whilst grounded theory is used to code and analyse the data. The mechanism of escape that comprises the findings of the thesis is depicted as a three- stage model within the central concept of ‘subjugation – the cultural role of females’. These three stages comprise ‘cloistering strategies’, ‘drifting back to the family fold’, and ‘disownment mitigation strategies’. Stated in theoretical terms, the thesis finds that physical escape from the family home is only part of a sequence of activities that combine to achieve the ultimate aim of total escape. What is ultimately required is a change not necessarily in external circumstances but rather a change that comes from within the victims themselves in terms of the development of a ‘new’ person. This is conceptualised as a journey of personal transformation that involves moral growth within the individual in terms of a technology of the self, incorporating self-care and self-knowledge. i Dedication This thesis is dedicated to my wonderful family. To Paul, you have been my cheerleader and coach, a deep well of help and strength. To Grace, Lily and Elana, you have been my motivation and distraction, an endless source of inspiration and joy. You are my life’s best work. And in answer to your question, “Have you finished your study yet Mummy?” Yes, indeed I have. ii Acknowledgements There are several people without whom this research would not have been possible. To Dr James Latham who encouraged me to commence this research journey, introduced me to Foucault, instilled in me a critical mind, shared my love of musicianship and left me in very capable hands following his retirement. To Dr Nikola Djurkovic who provided valuable editorial corrections to the final draft. Thank you for reading it cover to cover. I am indebted to Professor Robert Jones for introducing me to the important issue of forced marriage and honour based violence, for guiding me through the bramble bush of qualitative research, for showing me the wonders of grounded theory and critical analysis and for his immense support in ensuring the completion of this thesis prior to his retirement. Words fail. iii Declaration I, Amanda Rachel Muhleisen, declare that this thesis, submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Doctor of Philosophy from the Faculty of Business and Law, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia, contains no material which has been accepted for the award to the candidate of any other degree or diploma or to the best of my knowledge, been previously published or written by another person, except where due reference is made in the text of the examinable outcome. Amanda Rachel Muhleisen iv Table of Contents Abstract i! Dedication ii! Acknowledgements iii! Declaration iv! Table of Contents v! List of Boxes viii! List of Figures viii! List of Tables viii! List of Abbreviations ix! Chapter 1 Introduction 1! 1.1! Purpose of the thesis 2! 1.2! Significance and scope of the thesis 3! 1.3! Jasvinder Sanghera – social activist 4! 1.4! Karma Nirvana – social enterprise 10! 1.5! Other forced marriage social activist organisations 13! 1.5.1! Southall Black Sisters 13! 1.5.2! Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation 14! 1.5.3! Freedom Charity 15! 1.6! International approaches to forced marriage 15! 1.6.1! France 16! 1.6.2! Netherlands 17! 1.6.3! Germany 19! 1.6.4! Australia 21! 1.7! Structure of the thesis 22! 1.8! Summary 24! Chapter 2 Honour: a concept and a discourse 25! 2.1! Honour 26! 2.2! Sexual honour 27! 2.2.1! Honour Killings and Violence 38! 2.3! Summary 54! v Chapter 3 Forced marriage 55! 3.1! Forced marriage and the issue of consent 56! 3.2! Statistics relating to forced marriage 56! 3.3! Why do forced marriages occur? 57! 3.4! Raising awareness of forced marriage: cultural barriers 59! 3.5! 2000: A Choice by Right 61! 3.6! Approaches to tackling forced marriage 65! 3.7! 2000: Community Liaison Unit 68! 3.8! 2005: Forced Marriage Unit 69! 3.9! 2007: Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 69! 3.10! 2011: Towards criminalisation of forced marriage 76! 3.11! 2014: Criminalising forced marriage - Anti-social Behaviour (Crime and Policing) Act 81! 3.12! Statutory and practice guidelines for frontline professionals 84! 3.13! Summary 88! Chapter 4 Methodology and audit trail 89! 4.1! Research scaffolding 90! 4.1.1! Epistemology and theoretical perspective 90! 4.1.2! Methodology and methods 92! 4.1.3! Research design 93! 4.2! Quantitative versus qualitative research 94! 4.2.1! Types of qualitative research 96! 4.3! Discourse analysis 100! 4.3.1! Types of discourse analysis 103! 4.3.1.1! Constructivist approaches 104! 4.3.1.2! Critical approaches 104! 4.4! Types of critical discourse analysis 106! 4.4.1! Adoption of the sociocognitive approach in this thesis 108! 4.5! Use of an autobiographical memoir as text 112! 4.6! Audit trail 113! 4.7! Summary 121! vi Chapter 5 Synopsis and analysis of Shame 122! 5.1! Synopsis of text: chapters 1-7 123! 5.2! Analysis of text: chapters 1-7 131! 5.2.1! Subjugation: cultural role of females 131! 5.2.1.1! Cloistering strategies 132! 5.2.1.2! Retribution for non-compliance 136! 5.3! Synopsis of text: chapters 8-35 138! 5.4! Analysis of text: chapters 8-35 152! 5.4.1! Drifting back to the family fold 152! 5.4.2! Disownment mitigation strategies 155! 5.5! Summary 157! Chapter 6 Escaping discourse: contribution to the literature 159! 6.1! Existing literature 160! 6.2! Cloistering strategies: trapped within the discourse 163! 6.3! Resisting the discourse: the role of human agency 166! 6.4! Drifting back to the family fold 172! 6.4.1! The processual journey of bewilderment-realisation-contempt 176! 6.5! Standing outside the cocoon: Karma Nirvana 180! 6.6! Summary 184! Chapter 7 Conclusion 187! 7.1! Implications for practitioners and academics 187! 7.1.1! Implications for practitioners 187! 7.1.2! Implications for academics 189! 7.2! Criteria for evaluation of quality 190! 7.2.1! Sociocognitive analysis 192! 7.2.2! Grounded theory 192! 7.3! Limitations of the thesis 195! 7.4! Suggestions for further research 196! 7.5! Summary 198! References 199! vii List of Boxes Box 3.1 Two examples of forced marriage 63! Box 3.2 Role and functions of the Forced Marriage Unit 70! Box 3.3 Distinction between forced and arranged marriages 71! Box 3.4 Definition of ‘force’ within a forced marriage 72! Box 3.5 Coercive psychological systems 74! Box 3.6 Findings and recommendations: Home Affairs Committee 2011 77! Box 4.1 Memo 1: Chapter 1 117! Box 4.2 Memo 2: Robina’s death and the emotional consequence 118! Box 4.3 Memo 3: Moral dissonance 119! Box 4.4 Memo 4: Moral growth and Foucault 120! List of Figures Figure 4.1 Comparison of quantitative and qualitative methodologies 95 Figure 4.2 Different approaches to discourse analysis 103 Figure 5.1 Subjugation: cultural role of females 137 Figure 5.2 Drifting back to the family fold 154 Figure 5.3 Disownment mitigation strategies 155 List of Tables Table 2.1 Memoirs of honour based violence 43! viii List of Abbreviations AVA Against Violence & Abuse CDA Critical Discourse Analysis CDS Critical Discourse Studies CLU Community Liaison Unit CSC Centre for Social Cohesion DHA Discourse Historical Approach FC Freedom Charity FM Forced Marriage FMPO Forced Marriage Protection Order FMU Forced Marriage Unit HBV Honour Based Violence IKWRO Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation KN Karma Nirvana MP Member of Parliament SBS Southall Black Sisters SCA Sociocognitive Analysis UK United Kingdom US United States ix Chapter 1 Introduction This opening chapter introduces the research question of the thesis within the context of the purpose, significance and scope of the study. An examination is undertaken of the main protagonist of the thesis, together with that of Karma Nirvana, the social enterprise created by Jasvinder Sanghera in order to progress her campaign against forced marriage and honour-based violence. This chapter also presents a short examination of several other organisations that campaign about these issues within the United Kingdom (UK). The chapter concludes by broadening the analysis beyond the immediate UK context of this thesis by presenting an examination of how these important issues are also dealt with by several other countries, namely: France, Netherlands, Germany and Australia.
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