Marianne Freyne-Lindhagen

Doktorsavhandling framlagd vid Lunds universitet 1997

Abstract

Identity and cultural encounter - the case of Syrian Orthodox women. A discussion on Grounded theory.

The dissertation is a qualitative study of Suryoyo (Syrian Othodox) women living in Sweden. The main theme is the relation between the integration process in Swedish society and the women's cultural and religious background and ethnic identity. The core question posed is whether the women can be looked upon as "genuinely integrated" as participant subjects and citizens in the host society.

A variety of qualitative methods are used: participation, observation, open interviews and narratives. Secondary analyses of available empirical material is also used.

The narrative analysis is based on seven short life stories. Two separate cases are also presented: one - on the individual level - about a handicapped Suryoyo woman and the encounter with the immigrant receiving society and one - on the meso level - about the Suryoyo women1s effort to organize as a women1s committee in the Suryoyo Association. An overview of the religious and political history is a context presented which is of importance for understanding the women1s situation in the Swedish exile.

The conclusion is that the women are partly "pseudo intergrated" in a genuine political , structural and societal meaning. The obstacles to intergration are gender related but reasons are also to be found in the religious/cultural background, weakness in language and education and general segregating mechanisms in Swedish society. All these factors are mutually connected and make a complex background to the women1s integration process. At the same time the women have a platform in their strong ethnic identity and experiences as active subjects mirrored in their life stories. This platform is a tool of importance in the mobilizing process.

A critical discussion on the grounded theory tradition in qualitative research is a second main theme in the study. It ends whith a reflection on methodological and ethical aspects connected to migration and ethnic research.

Sammanfattning på svenska

Avhandlingen belyser syrianska kvinnors bakgrunder och livsvillkoren i Sverige. Studien baseras på intervjuer, obseravtioner, deltagande och sekundärmaterial.Kvinnoberättelser, beskrivningen av en handikappad syriansk kvinnas situation i det svenska vårdsamhället, syrianska kvinnors föreningsliv utgör delstudier som presenteras.

Teoretiska slutsatser baserade på det empiriska materialet är att hinder och möjligheter för kvinnornas integration och deltagande i samhället varierar inom gruppen. För kvinnornas del utgör könsfaktorn tillsammans med utbildnings- och språkliga faktorer hinder för genuin integrering.I avhandlingens metoddel diskuteras grounded theorytraditionen inom kvalitativ/humanvetenskaplig forskning.

Keywords Immigrant Women, Syrian Orthodox Women, Identity, Cultural Encounter, Iimmigrant Organizations, Grounded Theory