Social Networks of British-Bangladeshi Young Women A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Sina Akter School of Social Sciences, Brunel University May 2013 Acknowledgements First of all, I would like to thank my supervisor Dr. Sanjay Sharma, and gratefully acknowledge the valuable advice, considerate guidance and endless support he has given me through this research. My special appreciation and gratitude to Dr. Sharma for his efforts and constructive feedback on my work which has helped me to complete this thesis. I would also like to thank my second supervisor, Dr. Timothy Milewa, who provided me with valuable feedback and support. I am especially thankful to Ushma Gudka and Amreen Malik at the Social Science Research office for their efforts and effective administrative assistance. I gratefully acknowledge and thank my work manager Ms. Bernadette Ogazi for her thoughtful support and considerate understanding during my study. I especially acknowledge and thank my family members for their support, patience and understanding during my research. This study would not have been possible without my mother’s enormous love and encouragement; I deeply acknowledge the motivation and support she has provided me. I am also very thankful to everyone who supported me in various capacities in the completion of the thesis. 1. Abstract This research is about the Social Networks and Social Capital of British-Bangladeshi Young Women in relation to their identity, cultural context and social aspects. It is a qualitative study based on the lives of a small sample of Bangladeshi young women, who are second or third generation British-born Bangladeshis between the ages of 16 and 29, living in London. They are British citizens and were born or grew up in Britain. The main area that the research takes place in is the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Methods encompass in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. This research investigation has found that the social networks and social capital of Bangladeshi young women were impacted by their identity, ethnicity, social and cultural contexts, such as religious and gender identity, patriarchal practice within households and racism. Accordingly, for many women the construction of social networks was enabling; but for others, there were constraints in relation to their identity. On the other hand, the social networks through various places, especially places of study and work, significantly enabled the women to acquire their identity with regard to their social position, which has been helpful for agency and negotiation power. Consequently, their social networks were shaped based on their subjective experience, cultural expectations and social aspects. However, the women were active in order to create and maintain their social life, as well as to negotiate and develop their own ‘strategies to manage’ techniques to cope with the constraints. In this study, my main argument aims to emphasise how social networks are formed and maintained by the Bangladeshi young women in relation to their identity, cultural context and social aspects. I contend that these women actively negotiate a multitude of personal, familial and structural concerns in developing their social networks. I also argue that agency and negotiation power positively contribute to mitigate cultural constraints and inequalities with regard to the social networks of these young women; however social structures and inequalities create significant boundary conditions for these women to acquire negotiation power. 2. Table of Contents CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 6 1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 6 1.2 Background ........................................................................................................................ 6 1.3 Rationale ............................................................................................................................ 8 1.3.1 Research aims ........................................................................................................... 11 1.4 Conceptual basis .............................................................................................................. 12 1.4.1 Social networks .......................................................................................................... 13 1.4.2 Social capital .............................................................................................................. 14 1.4.3 Identity and ethnicity ................................................................................................ 15 1.5 Bangladeshi community ................................................................................................... 17 1.5.1 History of Bangladeshi settlement ............................................................................ 17 1.5.2 Bangladeshi family and social networks ................................................................... 18 1.6 Research methods: The qualitative study ......................................................................... 20 1.7 Thesis structure ................................................................................................................. 21 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................... 23 2.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 23 2.2 Social networks ................................................................................................................ 24 2.3 Social capital ..................................................................................................................... 26 2.4 Social networks and social capital in empirical research: concepts and indicators?........ 34 2.5 Ethnic capital .................................................................................................................... 42 2.6 Identity and social networks ............................................................................................. 44 2.7 Identity and Bangladeshi young people ........................................................................... 48 2.7.1 Religious identity and Bangladeshi young women ................................................... 51 2.8 Patriarchy as structural barrier ......................................................................................... 54 2.9 Structural barriers and inequalities .................................................................................. 56 2.10 Inter-generational relationships ....................................................................................... 61 2.11 Summary: the research agenda in light of the literature ................................................ 64 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY .............................................................................................. 66 3.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 66 3.2 Research paradigms .......................................................................................................... 66 3.2.1 Selecting a research paradigm - Interpretivism .......................................................... 67 3. 3.2.2 The basis of qualitative research design.................................................................... 69 3.3 Selecting research methods .............................................................................................. 73 3.3.1 Qualitative interviews ................................................................................................ 73 3.3.2 Focus group discussions............................................................................................. 75 3.4 Sampling .......................................................................................................................... 78 3.4.1 Convenience sampling ............................................................................................... 79 3.5 Recruiting participants for the study ................................................................................. 81 3.6 Research instruments and their thematic content .............................................................. 83 3.6.1 The interview guide and focus group cues ................................................................. 84 3.6.2 The fieldwork ............................................................................................................. 86 3.7 Methods of data analysis ................................................................................................. 87 3.7.1 Transcription .............................................................................................................. 87 3.7.2 Data analysis .............................................................................................................. 87 3.7.3 Iterative coding .......................................................................................................... 90 3.7.4 Validation ................................................................................................................... 92 3.8 Research ethics ................................................................................................................