Summary
Expectations of the wife to perform motherhood and household duties in addition to employment outside the home was cited as a major source of conflict among Canadian South Asian women (Naidoo & Davis, 1988).\n Some couples in our research study found positive changes, such as increased intimacy and communication, female autonomy and independence, and fluidity in accepting formerly gendered responsibilities, which buffered the impact of migration related stress upon their relationships. In October 2006, the EAT held a community forum to share study findings with Ethiopian, community-based and mainstream health and social service professionals, to provide information on professional, spiritual and community-based approaches to reducing marital conflict and IPV, and to engage community and mainstream providers in developing strategies to address marital conflict and IPV in immigrant and refugee communities.
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Extract
The Impact of Migration On Marital Relationships: A Study of Ethiopian Immigrants in Toronto
INTRODUCTION
Much research has examined the effect of migration upon individual psychological and sociocultural adaptation (Karasz, 2005; Ahmad, et al., 2004; Boyd & Grieco, 2003; Darvishpour, 2002). The former is commonly associated with psychological well-being and satisfaction while the latter refers to the acquisition of culturally appropriate knowledge and skills (Ataca & Berry, 2002). Little research, however, has examined how migration affects marital relationships, or the processes by which couples adapt to their new circumstances. This is a major limitation to migration research as 'for the most part, it is not individuals who migrate, but intact family groups' (Ataca & Berry, 2002 pg. 15). Information on the impact of migration on marital relationships is doubly important given reported high rates of marital conflict, divorce and intimate partner violence (IPV) in newcomer communities (Stein & Dilmaghani, 2002; Krulfeld, 1994; Kulig, 1994; Tang & Oatley 2002; Naidoo and Davis, 1988).This paper presents data from a research project conducted with married, divorced and separated newcomer Ethiopians in Toronto. The objectives are to document post-migration changes in the lives of newcomer couples and to examine the impact of post-migration changes on marital relationships.IMMIGRATION TO CANADAEvery year approximately 250,000 immigrants and refugees arrive in Canada. Over the past 40 years, the ethnic composition of Canada's immigrants has shifted dramatically from European to non-European countries of origin (Van Kessel, 1998). Today, sixty percent of recent immigrants come from Asia and the Middle East (Citizenship & Immigration Canada 2003). The pro-portion of non-European immigrants is even more pronounced in urban centres such as Toronto, where, according to the 2001 census, immigrants represented 44% of the population. This proportion is higher than Miami (40%), Los Angeles (31 %) and New York City (24...See the full content of this document
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