The power of agency: Transformation of gender roles and marital relations among Nigerian immigrant women in Lethbridge, Alberta
Abstract
This research explores the shifting subjectivities of eight Nigerian immigrant women as they negotiate gender roles and marital relations in Lethbridge. Using the Gendered Geographies of Power framework, this study uncovers a reflexive relationship between the social location of participants, and the type and degree of agency that they display as immigrant women, mothers, and wives, within geographies that include, the Canadian labour market, extended family networks in Nigeria, and nuclear households in Canada. Overall, findings show that by demonstrating agency, participants were able to appropriate social-cultural realities of migration and transnational living for the transformation of marital relations in ways that promoted gendered wellbeing and positioning within their marriages.
Notes
Gaps identified
- A longitudinal method would allow for increased insight into marital relationships
- Current study has small sample size, so there is decreased generalizability
- Future studies in more liberal cities to see if this has an impact on gender roles
Key findings
- Changing gender roles and increased independence in women resulted in increased equality, and women’s empowerment in marriage dynamics, though male figures did have more control in household decisions
- Family in Nigeria may have problems with this new gender dynamic due to the cultural norms, and differences after migration
- Some participants’ spouses, after immigration to Canada with family, chose to pursue their careers in Nigeria due to increased opportunities, opting for traveling between Nigeria and Canada, resulting in further change to gender roles in marriages due to increased periods of absence
- There was initial decrease in social mobility in careers for women due to difficulties integrating into professional careers, as well as lack of recognition of foreign credentials
- The most prominent reasons for immigration to Canada included better opportunities of education for children, being able to immigrate whole nuclear families, increased safety, and economic opportunities
Community organizations
Integration timeline
Key populations
Nigerian immigrant women
Key recommendations
Location
- Lethbridge
- Alberta
Open-access – Yes
