How Has Forced Marriage Impacted The Social Lives Of South Asians In The United Kingdom?

Introduction

Research Question

The leading question that will be pursed is “how has forced marriages impacted the social lives of South Asians living in the United Kingdom?”

Rationale

The topic was chosen to study the lives of South Asians living in the United Kingdom who were forced into marriage and to determine if their social lives have been impacted negatively or positively by the marriage.

Aim Of The Study

The aim of the study is to determine how the lives of South Asians living in the United Kingdom have been impacted by forced marriages.

Objectives Of The Study

• To identify the difference between arranged and forced marriages in the South Asian community.
• To determine why South Asians in the United Kingdom are forced into marriages.
• To identify the advantages and disadvantages of being in a forced marriage.
• To analyze the social lives of South Asians in the United Kingdom who are forced into marriages.

Background Of Study

Forced marriage is the kind of marriage where one or both of those getting married do not give their consent. Forced marriage is a tradition that has come from overlapping of two cultures, which is arranged marriage and modernization. Arranged marriages are popular among the Asians and even to date youth in countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan still look to their parents to look for spouses for them. The tradition has been carried on even among those who have migrated to the UK. However, second and third-generation South Asians living in the UK are more receptive to the concept of finding love before marriage. Because of this, they can find themselves being forced into a marriage without their consent (Clare 2017).

Statistics show that about 3000 girls are forced into marriage annually. Some of these girls are usually underage and their lives are significantly impacted by this (Siddiqui 2010). This study aims to analyze the lives of those who have been forced into marriage and determine the impacts it has had on their social lives.

Theory

The theory of the study is that when a person is forced into marriage their lives are significantly affected as a result of it. It is relevant to the topic since it shows the direct relationship between the forced marriage and the social lives of those forced into marriage.

Literature Review

Arranged and forced marriages

Arranged marriages have been a common culture among the South Asians living in the United Kingdom, but the transition in generational beliefs has affected this culture and changed the tradition from arranged to forced marriages. These marriages are usually arranged by the relatives on both sides and are usually done to unite two families, to alleviate the status of one of the families or to form political alliances (Danna 2013).

The difference between the two is seen when it comes to consent. In arranged marriages, the bride and groom are asked for their consent and have the right to refuse the marriage if they do not want to go through with it. In forced marriages, however, either one of them or both of them do not have a say on whether or not they want to marry each other (Bunting et. al 2016).

Why South Asians in the United Kingdom are forced into marriages

Arranged marriages have been a tradition that is long-standing and has been passed down through generations in the South Asian as well as other cultures in the world. The tradition still stands to date, with South Asians living in countries like India, Pakistan and Bangladesh still relying on their parents to find spouses for them, rather than embracing the modern culture of finding a connection with someone on their own (Efemini 2010).

With the increased influence of westernized culture especially among the South Asians who live in the United Kingdom, second and third-generation South Asians are more inclined to choosing their own spouses rather than having their parents do it for them. Since their relatives want to uphold this tradition, marriages are usually arranged without consulting the girl. There are a number of reasons why a girl can be forced into a marriage by her relatives, including wanting to control behavior they consider undesirable, the desire to maintain their culture and religion, as a method to ensure that the wealth remains in the family or the family wanting to have a strong claim on their United Kingdom citizenship (Uddin 2016).

Advantages and disadvantages of forced marriages

There are fewer advantages compared to the disadvantages of being in a forced marriage. Most of the advantages benefit the families of those that are married, rather than the married couple themselves. The advantages of a forced marriage include: the relationship that is formed between the bride and groom is not purely based on emotions and there is always the possibility that those getting married can fall in love. The traditions of the family are maintained and not eroded by outside influence. The marriage creates a sense of togetherness and unites more than just the bride and groom but both families as well and the stress of finding a life partner is eliminated (Vetter 2017).

The disadvantages of being in a forced marriage include: the relationships often lack trust since the couple hardly know each other. The practice tends to encourage the culture where men control women especially since it is the women who are usually kept in the dark about such marriages (Aslam 2012). There is an increased likelihood that one or both of the spouses will develop a mental health problem during the marriage. The individuals in the marriage are forced to live with a person they don’t know which reduces the chance of success of the marriage. Most of the time love is not one of the reasons considered in these kinds of marriages and this can negatively influence how the couples relate to one another. The individuals also end up feeling alienated from their families since the forced marriage is a reason for breaking the trust between them (Itebiye 2016).

Lives of South Asians in the United Kingdom in forced marriages.

Forced marriage in the UK is considered to be an abuse of women. A few of the marriages have happy endings, where the man and his wife eventually learn to love each other and start their family together. Most of them, however, are characterized by domestic abuse of the women in the marriages. The women who are forced into these marriages can be as young as sixteen years and this impacts their education (Dasgupta 2016). They are sometimes forced to marry old, disabled men and take up the role of caregiver rather than the wife (Revill 2010). The women often face domestic violence in the hands of their spouses and have every aspect of their lives controlled by them, from the people they interact with the clothes that they wear. These women are sometimes alienated from their families and cannot go to them to seek help when they need it (Siddiqui 2010).

The women in these marriages have no authority in the marriage and are dominated by their husbands, who dictate what happens in the marriages. The women often end up developing mental health issues such as anxiety and depression as a result of the maltreatment they face. Although they may look for a way out, it is not easy since they do not have control over what happens in the marriages. Their husbands would refuse to give them a divorce and they may even face more abuse because of considering this as an option. They are often encouraged by their family members to remain in the marriages since it benefits them in one way or another. They lack support and are forced to endure the burdens they face by themselves (Siddiqui, 2010).

Research Methods

Primary data

Primary data will be collected from legal documents, use of questionnaires and audio and video recordings that give information useful for the study.

Secondary data

The secondary sources that will be used to collect data will be from library books and journals, research material that was collected for other research projects and internet searches. The data will however not be more than ten years old.

The data will then be combined and analyzed and what is relevant will be used to write the research project.

Ethics statement

I am assuring that my research will be of integrity and proper quality. I will seek informed consent for carrying out my research. I will respect the anonymity and confidentiality of all my research respondents. I will ensure that all those who participate in this research will do so voluntarily, and I will avoid harm to any of the participants. I can also show that the research is impartial and independent.

Completion plan

References

Aslam, A. (2012). A Critical Review of the Literature on the Subject of Forced Marriages: Honour and Culture: A Potent Mix.

Bunting, A., Lawrance,  N., and Roberts, R. (2016). Marriage by Force?: Contestation over Consent and Coercion in Africa. Athens, OH: Ohio University Press.

Clare, B. (2017). Child, Early and Forced Marriages in East Africa: The Role of the Judiciary.  DOI:10.14217/967bd43c-en

Danna, D. (2013). The boundaries of public action: arranged and forced marriages., 13(2), 65. DOI:10.5565/rev/thread/v13n2.991

Dasgupta, S. D. (2016). Forced Marriages. Encyclopedia of Interpersonal Violence. DOI:10.4135/9781412963923.n189

Itebiye, B. (2016). Forced And Early Marriages: Moral Failures Vs Religious Nuances. European Scientific Journal, ESJ, 12(17), 305. DOI:10.19044/esj.2016.v12n17p305

Revill, J., and Asthana, A. (2010). 3,000 women a year forced into marriage in the UK, study finds. The Guardian [UK]. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/mar/08/religion

Siddiqui, K.(2010). Forced Marriage. South Asian Review, 31(3), 48-48. DOI:10.1080/02759527.2010.11932768

Uddin, M.  (2016). Arranged marriage. a dilemma for young British Asians, 44- 60. Retrieved from https://diversityhealthcare.imedpub.com/arranged-marriage-a-dilemma-for-young-british-asians.php?aid=2406

Vetter, L. (2017). By Avon River, Arranged Marriage, and Shakespeare’s Empire. A Curious Peril. DOI:10.5744/florida/9780813054568.003.0005