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Sexual Desire As Experienced by South Asian Women Living in British Columbia

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Sexual Desire As Experienced by South Asian Women Living in British Columbia SEXUAL DESIRE AS EXPERIENCED BY SOUTH ASIAN WOMEN LIVING IN BRITISH COLUMBIA A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of Antioch University Seattle Seattle, WA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree Doctor of Psychology By Seema M. Buksh November 2019 SEXUAL DESIRE AS EXPERIENCED BY SOUTH ASIAN WOMEN LIVING IN BRITISH COLUMBIA This dissertation, by Seema M. Buksh, has been approved by the Committee Members signed below who recommend that it be accepted by the faculty of the Antioch University Seattle at Seattle, WA in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PSYCHOLOGY Dissertation Committee: _____________________________________ Dana Waters, Psy.D., ABPP Chairperson _____________________________________ William Heusler, Psy.D. Committee Member _____________________________________ Lori Brotto, PhD Committee Member _____________________________________ Date ii © Copyright by Seema M. Buksh, 2019 All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT SEXUAL DESIRE AS EXPERIENCED BY SOUTH ASIAN WOMEN LIVING IN BRITISH COLUMBIA Seema M. Buksh Antioch University Seattle, Seattle, WA Cultural beliefs and values play a significant role in the conceptualization, expression, and experience of sexual desire and functioning. Previous studies have found higher mainstream acculturation was associated with higher sexual desire and arousal. Many of these studies have also linked the cultural effects on sexual functioning to culture-differences in sexual conservatism. Within South Asian culture there is a propensity towards sexual conservatism, especially in relation to female sexual desire, yet research with regards to sexual desire and South Asian women is absent from the literature. Given the dearth of research related to this topic, further research in this area is warranted. This study used the Vancouver Index of Acculturation (VIA) and the Sexual Desire Inventory-2 (SDI-2) to investigate the relationship between acculturation to mainstream (Canadian) culture and sexual desire and enculturation to heritage (South Asian) culture and sexual desire in South Asian females living in BC. Results of this study found a positive relationship between acculturation to mainstream culture and sexual desire. No evidence of a significant relationship between enculturation to heritage culture and sexual desire was reported. Exploratory analysis of demographic factors found that as age increased acculturation scores decreased; parents and pregnant women reported higher enculturation and lower acculturation scores; non-parents scored higher on sexual desire; married iv participants reported lower acculturation scores, and participants in a relationship (but not married) reported the highest levels of sexual desire. Moreover, participants who identified as having Hindu or Islamic belief systems reported lower average solitary sexual desire scores than participants from other spirituality/religious groups. Finally, there were small positive correlations regarding those who agreed with statements related to female sexuality and their VIA and SDI-2 scores. Keeping in mind that this study was the first to explore sexual desire and South Asian women, findings from this study may further build on our understanding of South Asian female sexual desire as well as assist in supporting the sexual health of South Asian women. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA http://aura.antioch.edu/ and Ohio Link ETD Center https://etd.ohiolink.edu/etd. Keywords: sexual desire, South Asian, acculturation, enculturation, SDI-2, VIA v DediCation This dissertation is dedicated to women of the past, present, and future. vi ACknowledgements I begin by giving thanks to the participants of this study. Without them this study would not have been possible. Next, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my committee chair, Dr. Dana Waters. Thank you for encouraging me to fly. I would also like to acknowledge my committee members Dr. Bill Heusler and Dr. Lori Brotto for their valuable feedback throughout this process. No research is possible without requisite materials and resources. I would like to give special thanks to the authors of the Vancouver Index of Acculturation (VIA), Dr. Andrew G. Ryder, Dr. Lynn E. Alden, and Dr. Delroy L. Paulus; and to the authors of the Sexual Desire Inventory (SDI-2), Dr. Ilana P. Spector, Dr. Michael P. Carey, and Dr. Lynne Steinberg, for allowing me to use these measures in my study. Finally, I would like to give my deepest expression of love and appreciation to my husband and children. Thank you for believing in me when I doubted myself and making me laugh when I needed it most. vii Table of Contents ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... iv Dedication ....................................................................................................................................... vi Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................... vii List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ xii List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. xiii CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 1 Rationale for Study ...................................................................................................................... 2 Purpose of the Study .................................................................................................................... 4 Scope and Limitations of this Study ............................................................................................ 5 CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................ 6 Culture ......................................................................................................................................... 6 Culture and Dominant Discourse ............................................................................................ 7 Enculturation ........................................................................................................................... 8 Canadian and South Asian Culture .............................................................................................. 9 Power Distance ...................................................................................................................... 10 Individualism vs. Collectivism .............................................................................................. 10 Masculinity vs. Femininity .................................................................................................... 12 Uncertainty Avoidance .......................................................................................................... 13 Long-term Orientation ........................................................................................................... 14 Indulgence ............................................................................................................................. 15 Acculturation ............................................................................................................................. 16 Unidimentional Assimilation Theory .................................................................................... 16 viii Bidimensional Acculturation Theory .................................................................................... 20 South Asian Diaspora ................................................................................................................ 23 South Asian Women and Acculturation to Western Culture ................................................. 25 Patriarchy ................................................................................................................................... 27 Patriarchy in South Asia ........................................................................................................ 28 Sexuality and Cultural Discourse .............................................................................................. 32 Female Sexuality and Patriarchal Cultural Discourse ........................................................... 35 Sexual Double Standard ........................................................................................................ 37 South Asian Culture, Female Sexuality, and Patriarchal Discourse ..................................... 40 South Asian Women and Sexual Health ................................................................................... 41 Sexual Desire ............................................................................................................................. 47 Female Sexual Desire, Culture, and Patriarchal Discourse ................................................... 49 Female Sexual Desire and Acculturation .............................................................................. 54 South Asian Female Sexual Desire ....................................................................................... 62 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................... 65 Method Rationale
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