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Izzat, Intersectionality, and Educational Journeys: Hearing the Voices of British Bangladeshi, Indian and Pakistani (BIP) Heritage Women. Sukhbinder K Hamilton The thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Portsmouth. Date Submitted (14th August 2018) Abstract: This qualitative research, situated within the interpretivist paradigm, draws on educational journey narratives of 31 British women of Bangladeshi (10), Indian (11) and Pakistani (10) (BIP) heritage. It aims to give space to the individual voices of women who have been homogenised, marginalised, and often silenced, within the educational mainframe. All the women whose stories form this thesis had some of their compulsory education within the U.K. As BIP heritage, my own story is included. The narratives were explored using a combined grounded theory, and Bronfenbrenner model (1979) approach which allowed for multiple and layered themes to emerge. Through unstructured interviews the women explained the complex ways in which they negotiate identity and belonging within ‘white’ eurocentric educational institutions, whilst operating within the patriarchal confines of izzat (loosely translated as honour). Izzat was enforced through the watchful gaze of the baradari (community) and equally, alongside socio –economic status, impacted on how education for girls was viewed, and enabled by families. Education led to the two trajectories of employment and marriage; all three of which, were influenced by the four pillars (agency, attitude, access and knowledge). Educational success enabled better marriage prospects, and I argue is an integral part of the dowry (‘wealth’ given by bride’s family to the groom’s family). Previous research has used intersectionality to understand disadvantage, such as institutionalised racism and sexism. However using izzat as a facet of intersectionality, to inform understanding of the context within which BIP heritage female students may be operating is new. I argue izzat should be used as a lens to enable practitioners to have more nuanced pastoral conversations. This thesis makes a unique contribution to knowledge and to the educational studies field as it offers valuable insights into how izzat weaves with other dimensions adding to the marginalisation of BIP women. Contents The thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award ................................................................................... i of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Portsmouth. .................................................................................... i Abstract: ........................................................................................ ii Declaration ..................................................................................... 5 A List of Figures ............................................................................ 6 Abbreviations used ....................................................................... 7 Acknowledgements ....................................................................... 8 The Narrators: A Quick Overview ................................................ 9 1 Chapter One: Introduction .................................................. - 1 - a. Positioning the Thesis .......................................................................... - 1 - b. Research Focus and Questions ........................................................... - 5 - c. Originality of the Research ................................................................... - 6 - d. Why Educational Journeys ................................................................... - 7 - e. Unpacking Izzat.................................................................................. - 10 - f. The Beginning of the Story ................................................................. - 13 - I. Key Moments .................................................................................. - 14 - g. Summary of Narratives and Signposting to the Chapters .................. - 17 - 2 Chapter Two: Contextualising and Core Concepts ......... - 22 - a. My Term ‘BIP’..................................................................................... - 22 - b. History: BIPs and Britain .................................................................... - 23 - c. Socio-Economic Intersections ............................................................ - 26 - d. Racism ............................................................................................... - 29 - I. Impact of Racism on the Lives of the Women ................................. - 30 - e. The Four Pillars .................................................................................. - 33 - 1 I. Agency ............................................................................................ - 33 - II. Access ............................................................................................ - 36 - III. Attitude ........................................................................................ - 37 - IV. Knowledge ................................................................................... - 38 - f. Summary ............................................................................................ - 39 - 3 Chapter Three: Research Methodology ........................... - 40 - a. Epistemological Stance, Ontological Positioning and Truth ............... - 40 - b. Theoretical Perspective ...................................................................... - 41 - I. Positioning, Insiders and Outsiders, and Power ............................. - 42 - II. Voice ............................................................................................... - 45 - III. Bias and Reflexivity ..................................................................... - 46 - c. Research Design ................................................................................ - 48 - I. Feminism ........................................................................................ - 48 - II. Biography, Autobiography and Autoethnography ........................... - 50 - III. Intersectionality ............................................................................ - 51 - d. Methods ............................................................................................. - 53 - I. Sample Procedure and Collection .................................................. - 53 - II. Grounded Theory ............................................................................ - 55 - III. Interviews .................................................................................... - 56 - IV. Narrative ...................................................................................... - 57 - V. Emergence of My Conceptual Framework: Analysis of My Data . - 58 - e. Ethics, Confidentiality and Integrity .................................................... - 64 - f. Summary ............................................................................................ - 67 - 4 Chapter Four: An Izzat Lens, the Four Pillars, and Expressions of Identity ........................................................... - 68 - a. Gender Issues .................................................................................... - 68 - I. Izzat: Policing Behaviour, Conformity and Being ‘Good’ ................. - 71 - b. Identity and Belonging ........................................................................ - 75 - 2 c. Language and Identity Positioning ..................................................... - 83 - d. Izzat, Religion and Dress ................................................................... - 84 - e. Summary ............................................................................................ - 92 - 5 Chapter Five: An Izzat Lens, the Four Pillars and the Intersections between Family and Education ....................... - 93 - a. Family Structures ............................................................................... - 93 - I. Sacrifice and Intergenerational Ties ............................................... - 97 - b. Aspiration or Actuality: Parental Attitudes towards Education ............ - 98 - c. Parental Knowledge of Education and the Educational System ....... - 103 - d. Trailblazing for Sibling Agency ......................................................... - 107 - e. Summary .......................................................................................... - 109 - 6 Chapter Six: Izzat, Marriage, Employment and Education ..... - 110 - a. The Marriage and Employment Trajectories .................................... - 110 - b. Dowries ............................................................................................ - 111 - c. Izzat and Education .......................................................................... - 112 - I. Secondary Education and the Izzat Lens ...................................... - 113 - II. Choice of University, Subject and the Izzat Lens .......................... - 114 - d. Izzat and Marriage ........................................................................... - 117 - I. Education as Izzat Currency ......................................................... - 121 - e. Izzat and Employment ...................................................................... - 124 - f. Empowerment, Control, and Independence ..................................... - 127