An exploration of role-related identity in India-born Indian women living in the United States and Anglo-American women

The current study examined the differences in role-related identity between India-born Indian women living in the U.S. and the Anglo-American women. Identity patterns between the two groups of women were observed in the family (wife, mother), work, and homemaking roles. Erikson's psychosocial theory and the individualistic/collectivistic ideologies seen in the two groups of women form the framework for the present study. The present research seeks to explore the extent to which these cultural differences might be reflected in the role-related identities of the two groups of women. The sample consisted of 30 India-born Indian women living in the U.S. and 30 Anglo-American women. All respondents were married.

The respondents completed a questionnaire consisting of demographic information after which a lengthy interview based on women's lives and how they carried out the important roles in their lives were conducted. Interviews were transcribed at a later time and rated by two trained raters. Interviews were rated for salience and flexibility dimensions. Within the salience dimension, interview responses regarding each role were rated for motivation, affect, effect on self-evaluation, and time commitment. Past and present/future flexibility responses within each role were rated for reflectiveness and behavioral change. For the current research only motivation (degree of importance and reasons for involvement in the role) and affect (degree of affect and type of affect) within the salience dimension was analyzed for the wife, mother, worker and homemaker roles.

The results indicate similarities and differences between the two groups of women. Differences between the two groups of women were observed in the degree of affect associated with the wife role and reasons for involvement and type of affect associated with the mother role. Differences between the two groups of women were also observed in their degree of importance to the work role, reasons for involvement in the worker role, and the degree of importance to the homemaking role. Similarities were observed in the degree of importance associated to the wife and mother roles, degree of affect associated with the mother, worker, and homemaker roles, reasons for involvement associated with the wife role, types of affect associated with the wife, worker, and homemaker roles, and reasons for involvement in the homemaker role.