Pakistani women in Barcelona: Arrival processes and access to education
- Autores: Marina Arrasate Hierro-Olavarría
- Localización: VII Congrés Català de Sociologia i V Congrés Català de Joves Sociòlegs / Sociòlogues: llibre de resums de les sessions dels Grups de Treball, 2017, ISBN 978-84-8424-611-4, págs. 107-108
- Idioma: inglés
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Resumen
Since 2008 Pakistani community has become the biggest extra-communitarian population in Barcelona. The migration pattern of this community usually consists of an early allmale settlement followed by a second stage in which women and children come to join he men through processes of family reunification. Even though these reunification processes started recently, the Pakistani community of Barcelona has headed the list of reunification requests in the last 4 years.
The profile of the Pakistani migrant has dramatically changed and the women population has quadrupled. Given their short tradition in the country, there are few studies which address Pakistani women’s situation in the country and most of them have been carried out with very small samples.
The aim of this research is to explore Pakistani women’s arrival to Barcelona and gain understanding on the way the processes of arrival intersect with features such as class, gender, culture or structural aspects of the receiving society to shape their access to education. To do so, a three-step research has been conducted combining the strategies of participant observation, questionnaires, and in-depth interviews.
The results of the questionnaire provided a general picture of the Pakistani women’s settlement in Barcelona and a preliminary insight into their access to education. This preliminary insight was complemented with qualitative information gathered through participant observation in various educational settings and associations. Finally, the routes into the education of a group of Pakistani women from different backgrounds were examined.
The moment of arrival appeared as a key element in their educational achievement. Although some young women showed high aspirations, language competency, lack of educational references or ethnic penalty in the labour market were considered important issues. Moreover, the need to fulfill the demands of two different sets of values (those of the origin and host societies) was a major concern.
