Labor Choices of Immigrant Women

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses the theory of Naila Kabeer who researched Bangladeshi women home workers and maintained that these women did not exercise their own preference in their work choice. Kabeer explains that they were influenced by male domination, which in turn was impacted by societal discrimination. The paper shows that the patterns of employment and labor of immigrant women in the USA and in Sweden lend corroboration to this theory. The paper demonstrates how immigrant women face multiple levels of discrimination, most notably sexist and racist prejudice.

From the Paper:

"As noted above, Kabeer has pointed out that most Bangladeshi woman in London work in the clothing industry from home, while their husbands mainly work in the clothing industry in sweatshops and factories. Kabeer researched the reason for this, and found that the Bangladeshi women's "choice" to work at home is only partly their own preference, and that it is greatly influenced by male domination and other factors. She situates this domination within the context of the racist situation in which the entire family lives."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Darvishpour, Mehrdad. "Immigrant women challenge the role of men: how the changing power relationship within Iranian families in Sweden intensifies family conflicts after immigration." Journal of Comparative Family Studies, Vol. 33, 2002.
• Gabaccia, Donna. Women, Gender, and Immigrant Life in the U.S., 1820-1990. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1994.
• Kabeer, Naila. "The Structure of 'Revealed' Preference: Race, Community and Female Labour Supply in the London Clothing Industry."
• Khosla, Punam. If Low Income Women of Colour Counted in Toronto. Toronto: The Community Social Planning Council of Toronto, 2003.
• Peters, Evelyn. "The Two Major Living Realities: Urban Service Needs of First Nations Women in Canadian Cities." In Kristine B. Miranne and Alma H. Young, eds., Gendering the City: Women, Boundaries, and Visions of Urban Life. Lanham, MD: Rowan and Littlefield, 2000.

More papers on Labor Choices of Immigrant Women:

• Analytical Essay # 129391 : "Women Immigrants and Labour Choices"
• Research Paper # 92192 : "Career Development Among Chinese Women"
• Narrative Essay # 91605 : "American Immigrant Economy"

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