Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-nmvwc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-22T00:56:28.108Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Family formation patterns among migrant women in Sydney

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

Farhat Yusuf  and
Stefania Siedlecky
Farhat Yusuf
Affiliation:
Demographic Research Group, School of Economic and Financial Studies, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
Stefania Siedlecky
Affiliation:
Demographic Research Group, School of Economic and Financial Studies, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

A demographic survey among a probability sample of 980 married migrant women was carried out in Sydney in 1988. The sample included 507 Lebanese, 250 Turkish and 223 Vietnamese women. The study revealed differences in family formation patterns within and between the three groups and between them and the general population. Family size had declined among all three groups compared with their family of origin, and it was clear that the younger women would not achieve the same family sizes as the older women. Migrant women tended to marry earlier than the general population and to start their families earlier. While they showed a strong preference for their children to marry within their own ethnic and religious group, nearly one-third said it was up to the choice of the individual. Overall, the future family size of younger migrant women is expected to converge towards the Australian norm. Migrant families are in a state of transition between two cultures which needs to be recognised by health and family planning service providers.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 28 , Issue 1 , January 1996 , pp. 89 - 99
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Australia, Bureau of Immigration and Population Research (1992) Immigration Up-date, June Quarter 1992. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.Google Scholar
Australia, National Women's Advisory Council (1984) Annual Report 1982–1983. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.Google Scholar
Australian Bureau of Statistics (1990) Marriages, 1989. Catalogue No. 3308.0. Canberra.Google Scholar
Australian Bureau of Statistics (1993) Social Indicators, 1992. Catalogue No. 4101.0. Canberra.Google Scholar
Galbally, F. (1978) Migrant Services and Programs. Report of the Review of Post Arrival Program and Services for Migrants. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.Google Scholar
United Nations Population Fund (1994) Population Issues Briefing Kit. International Conference on Population and Development, United Nations Population Fund, New York.Google Scholar
Yusuf, F. (1980) Use of contraception among married women in New South Wales, Australia. J. biosoc. Sci. 12, 41.Google Scholar
Yusuf, F. (1986) Ethnic differences in Australian fertility. Clin. Reprod. Fert. 4, 107.Google Scholar
Yusuf, F. & Rockett, I. (1981) Immigrant fertility patterns and differentials in Australia, 1971–1976. Popul. Stud. 35, 413.Google Scholar
Yusuf, F., Siedlecky, S. & Byrnes, M. (1993) Family planning practices among Lebanese, Turkish and Vietnamese women in Sydney. Aust. N.Z. J. Obstet. Gynaec. 33, 8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed