Navigating the Everyday as Middle-Class British-Pakistani Women

This ethnographic study of middle-class British-Pakistani women in Manchester explores the sense of belonging they create through recognition and social status. Belonging in these communities is enacted through the performance of different identitiesclass, ethnicity, nationality, generation, age, religion, and genderthat earn them social power and status among family and friends. To prove they are model migrants, worthy of respect and recognition, these women perform various and intersecting identities to maximize status and social capital in diverse situations. Far from being passive victims of racial, religious, or cultural discrimination, middle-class British-Pakistani women challenge prejudice against Muslims and British-Pakistanis through certain practices, objects, performances, and relationships, serving as ambassadors for their religious and ethnic identity through their conduct and interaction with others in daily life.

Explores how middle-class British-Pakistani women navigate life in Britain differently from their counterparts in the working class Interrogates the intersection of race, class, religion, and gender from an ethnographic perspective Sheds light on how aspirations and interested are governed by social class position, and how socio-economic mobility can define the meaning and experience of being British-Pakistani

Autorentext

Noreen Mirza received her PhD in Social Anthropology from University of Manchester, UK, in 2017, where she is currently a teaching assistant in the School of Social Sciences and at the Alliance Manchester Business School.

Inhalt

Chapter 1 Introduction.-Chapter 2 Conceptual considerations.-Chapter 3 The experiences of British-Pakistani Muslims.-Chapter 4 A mother's love.-Chapter 5 The social role of dutiful daughter-in-law.-Chapter 6 A performance of a British-Pakistani identity.-Chapter 7 Class and piety.-Chapter 8 Conclusion.