Culture, Health and Sexuality
Volume 21, Issue 2, 2019, Pages 121-133

Immigration as a crisis tendency for HIV vulnerability among racialised women living with HIV in Ontario, Canada: an anti-oppressive lens (Article)

Kteily-Hawa R.N.* , Islam S. , Loutfy M.
  • a Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada, Faculty of Education, Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada, Women’s College Research Institute, Women’s College Hospital, Toronto, Canada
  • b Alliance for South Asian HIV/AIDS Prevention, Toronto, Canada, Women’s College Research Institute, Women’s College Hospital, Toronto, Canada
  • c Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada, Women’s College Research Institute, Women’s College Hospital, Toronto, Canada

Abstract

South Asian immigrant women in Canada face unique structural barriers that influence their HIV vulnerability. Using an intersectional and anti-oppressive lens, we explored the role of immigration in bringing about changes in gender roles and the structure of gender relations and their effect on HIV risk among immigrant women as they experienced crisis tendencies in the face of hegemonic masculinity. Informed by Connell’s theory of gender, the study entailed in-depth interviews with 12 self-identified South Asian immigrant women living in the Greater Toronto Area, in Ontario, Canada. A thematic analysis yielded four themes: power relations, emotional relations, gendered division of labour and social norms. Our findings revealed interdependencies between immigration and each of structural, individual and normative factors (the themes) as they pertain to crisis tendencies when patriarchy is disrupted. Given the rapid increase in global immigration, the connections between transnationalism and hegemony, and the established link between immigration and HIV, future research should extend this work to other immigrant communities. © 2018, © 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Author Keywords

Immigration South Asian women in Canada HIV and intersectionality hegemonic masculinity

Index Keywords

[No Keywords available]
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85045432760&doi=10.1080%2f13691058.2018.1453087&partnerID=40&md5=ceec8eb0d2eba8bbfd02f2d3d7ce54b7
DOI: 10.1080/13691058.2018.1453087
ISSN: 13691058
Original Language: English