Page 25 - S. Ličen, I. Karnjuš, & M. Prosen (Eds.). (2019). Women, migrations and health: Ensuring transcultural healthcare. Koper, University of Primorska Press.
P. 25
Sexual and Reproductive Health
as an Indicator of Social Integration:
The Obstacle of a Patriarchal Culture
and Forced Marriage
in Migrant Communities
Ornella Urpis
University of Trieste, Italy
ornella.urpis@dispes.units.it
Patriarchal family structure is the paradigm of human relations in many parts of
the world. In these societies the relationships are structured on the rigid sepa-
ration of the sexes and on the different capacity of empowerment of men and
women. In migratory processes, loyalties to the traditional model of the pa-
triarchal family often remain unchanged. Migration dynamics intertwine with
the marriage strategies of families or communities, and the maintenance of
certain traditional practices, including forced marriage, becomes functional to
the maintaining of the boundaries of identity and to ‘traditional’ social system.
The observation of the sexual and reproductive health of women can provide
a good indicator of the integration of cultural communities because it reveals
women’s capacity for autonomy and self-determination, a fundamental con-
dition for the recognition of their rights and identification with the models
and values of democratic society. The access of women to health and territo-
rial facilities, the repeated abortions, the presence of repeated sexual diseases,
knowledge of family planning, knowledge of the language of the host coun-
try, the capacity for autonomy and choice on reproduction, the abandonment
of behaviors of submission to traditions (endogamous marriages, forced mar-
riages and female genital mutilation) are all indicators useful for understand-
ing the degree of social inclusion of women and the integration of communi-
ties in the host country.
Introduction
When speaking of the integration of migrants, reference is always made to
their inclusion in the labor market, their living conditions, their ability to
access services, their interaction with the surrounding environment, etc.
(Boccagni & Pollini, 2012); however, equal attention is not paid to measur-
ing the changes in their identification models or their ability to reshape the
cognitive and evaluative picture in the new cultural system that now be-
23
as an Indicator of Social Integration:
The Obstacle of a Patriarchal Culture
and Forced Marriage
in Migrant Communities
Ornella Urpis
University of Trieste, Italy
ornella.urpis@dispes.units.it
Patriarchal family structure is the paradigm of human relations in many parts of
the world. In these societies the relationships are structured on the rigid sepa-
ration of the sexes and on the different capacity of empowerment of men and
women. In migratory processes, loyalties to the traditional model of the pa-
triarchal family often remain unchanged. Migration dynamics intertwine with
the marriage strategies of families or communities, and the maintenance of
certain traditional practices, including forced marriage, becomes functional to
the maintaining of the boundaries of identity and to ‘traditional’ social system.
The observation of the sexual and reproductive health of women can provide
a good indicator of the integration of cultural communities because it reveals
women’s capacity for autonomy and self-determination, a fundamental con-
dition for the recognition of their rights and identification with the models
and values of democratic society. The access of women to health and territo-
rial facilities, the repeated abortions, the presence of repeated sexual diseases,
knowledge of family planning, knowledge of the language of the host coun-
try, the capacity for autonomy and choice on reproduction, the abandonment
of behaviors of submission to traditions (endogamous marriages, forced mar-
riages and female genital mutilation) are all indicators useful for understand-
ing the degree of social inclusion of women and the integration of communi-
ties in the host country.
Introduction
When speaking of the integration of migrants, reference is always made to
their inclusion in the labor market, their living conditions, their ability to
access services, their interaction with the surrounding environment, etc.
(Boccagni & Pollini, 2012); however, equal attention is not paid to measur-
ing the changes in their identification models or their ability to reshape the
cognitive and evaluative picture in the new cultural system that now be-
23
