Marriage and social support in a British-Asian community

People of South Asian origin represent one;of the largest ethnic minority p opulations in Britain. However, research into the marital beliefs and pract ices of British South Asians has tended to conflate together different Sout h Asian groups of different religious and geographical origins. This study focused on one large religious group originating from one region (Hindus fr om Gujarat) resident in one large British town, providing analyses drawn fr om theories of cultural values, acculturation and social identity. Seventy married couples participated in detailed interviews inquiring about the arr angement of their marriage, their attitude towards marriage, gender roles, and the formal and informal support available in times of marital crisis. O ur analysis of these interviews suggested that whilst our respondents maint ained largely collectivist values in the family, they also saw marriage ver y much as an expression of individual fulfilment. Marital choice and gender roles in marriage reflected an integrationist strategy combining the tradi tional cultural practices and identity priorities with the social preferenc es and economic realities of their new culture. Finally, social support was largely forthcoming from members of the Asian community, reflecting a degr ee of separation from the majority community particularly when emotional as sistance was desired. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.