Gender and Biculturalism: Ethnic Identity and Choice of Marital Partner among Second Generation Bangladeshi Women in the USA and Sweden

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to explore and learn how the Second Generation Women of Bangladeshi Origin relate themselves to the culture of their host society and the traditions of their parental country of origin. Predominantly, how they look for their choice of a future life partner. This study was carried out in Malmoe, Sweden and New York City, USA, and from both locations, there were total nineteen women who enthusiastically responded to this study. It was a Qualitative Study and the data were collected by Semi-Structured interviews. The data was analyzed by use of Analytical terminology in light of feminism. The results showed that the second generation of women in both cities tended to be bi-cultural. However, the young women had difficulties in handling the often divergent push and pulls of the host and home land cultures. A contributing factor was the way in which young women lacked a freedom of choice. Especially, parental control was imposed on choice of life partners for young women, while young men were given more freedom of choice. The shaping of bi-cultural identities was marked by gender inequality: the development of young women's identities was surrounded by more tensions and constraints. Stricter control of young women by parents and ethnic communities was not the only factor involved. The young women wanted to maintain ties with the traditions of their parental home land. These ties were not valued by host societies, and also, their particular problems of their identity formation remained unrecognized. The results of this study cannot be generalized, but largely, are consistent with those of other studies.