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Living the long-term consequences of Thai-Western marriage migration: the radical life-course transformations of women who partner older Westerners

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Version 2 2023-06-12, 09:00
Version 1 2023-06-09, 16:49
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-12, 09:00 authored by Paul StathamPaul Statham
This article examines how relationships between Thai women and older Western men transform over the long-term, from a woman’s perspective. We present a model that identifies stages in the life-cycle or ‘narrative arc’ of a long-term partnership. This framework allows us to study how negotiated exchanges (material, emotional) between the couple evolve in ‘stages’ over time, and the degree to which a woman is empowered from her initial position of relative subservient dependency. We examine three factors that shape her relative autonomy in a partnership in ways that can result in greater security, wellbeing, and status. First, increasing access to individual formal rights (primarily through marriage) can lead to relative financial independence and security. Second, differential ageing in a couple can shift the balance of dependency as he becomes relatively infirm. Third, her changing obligations to natal family members, balanced with caring for her partner, can importantly shape her wellbeing. The study is based on 20 biographical interviews with women in partnerships for 7–30 years. We find that almost every aspect of a woman’s life transforms radically. Most consider it a worthwhile life-strategy, but many suffer hidden psychological costs as a result of living this ‘unintended transnationalism’ over the long-term.

Funding

The Search for a Better Life: How Partnerships with Westerners shape Thai life chances, social relationships and development; G1377; British Academy & Thailand Research Fund

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies

ISSN

1369-183X

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Department affiliated with

  • Geography Publications

Research groups affiliated with

  • Sussex Centre for Migration Research Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2019-02-11

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2019-10-08

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2019-02-08

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