South Asian women in East London: Motherhood and social support

This article addresses the different types of social support systems that exist for South Asian women as they mother and the role female kin play in this. The research is based upon a field-work study conducted on a South Asian community in East London. The findings indicate that the role of the paternal grandmother and other female paternal kin is significant in providing child-care support. The role of women is based upon a hierarchy of power and respect, with the paternal grandmother having the utmost power in the upbringing of her son's children. The maternal grandmother does not necessarily play a significant part in the upbringing of her grandchildren, this is often related to proximity of contact as well as women having to leave their hometown to enter into an "arranged marriage." South Asian women are respected if they give birth to sons. By giving birth to sons, they too will one day, as mothers-in-law, achieve a higher status in South Asian communities. Motherhood in South Asian communities is seen as a natural (immediate) result of an "arranged marriage." This is further linked to the importance of bearing male children to continue the ancestral line and to enhance the family's izzat (family pride and honour). (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd.