Cultural adaptation and career interruption in expatriate women in the South Pacific : a case study : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Sociology at Massey University

Abstract

This thesis investigates the domestic and social lives of expatriate women in the Cook Islands and New Zealand, using in-depth interviews and a feminist analysis of their social role. The study centres on the career interruption experiences of contemporary expatriate women from a perspective that understands this decision within the context of power, gender, and marriage. In addition, the thesis focuses on gender-specific cross-cultural adaptation and transition concerns. In doing so, the study highlights the role of domestic social networks both as a form of resistance to and a reinforcement of gender-assigned domestic labour. The thesis also includes a historical analysis of colonial expatriate women in the South Pacific. Using a qualitative methodology, the research also investigates key aspects of expatriate women's experience including leisure, work, and the family.