Cultural continuity: the negotiation of cultural preservation and transmission among Southeast Asian migrant wives in Singapore

Abstract

Cultural identity plays an important role in Southeast Asian societies. This paper explores how Southeast Asian migrant wives in transnational marriages negotiate the preservation and transmission of their original cultural identity. Three sociological aspects of migrant wives’ cultural identity are examined: their perceptions on the significance of (1) retaining cultural identity, (2) passing on their cultural heritage to their offspring, and (3) the manifestation of their attitudes towards cultural preservation in their childrearing strategies. We utilised Bourdieu’s Cultural Capital and Berry’s Acculturation model to examine the perceptions and experiences of 14 interview respondents. Motivated by social connections, cultural reproduction and pragmatism, most expressed a strong desire to preserve and transmit cultural identity. In this process, they navigate cultural retention and transmission by balancing expectations from both their country of origin and the host society. They prioritise transmitting certain cultural aspects—language, values, food, and practices with strategies varying from natural to deliberate. Despite these intentions to transmit culture, actual outcomes are also influenced by structural factors in the Singaporean landscape.