JultikaUniversity of Oulu repository

This research is a modest attempt to provide the other side of story if Indonesian women post-migration live in Finland who is married to Caucasian men (Finnish). The preliminary idea that is use as the background in writing this research is started with the number of stereotypes towards Asian women and Caucasian men. In Indonesia, the type of woman who is approaching a Caucasian man, hoping to be married and migrate to the husband’s home country to have a better life known as a bule hunter. The key concepts of my literary review consist of social mobility, marriage migration, and post-migration experiences. The movement of transnational communities blurring the boundaries and has increased the number of transnational couples and marriages, which also affecting the opportunity of social mobility transfer into international level. Over time, the number of women getting married to foreign men has been increasing, from poor countries to more developed nations. In reality, immigration is a complex life journey which begins by experiencing loneliness, severe isolation, challenges, insecurity and disappointments. Downward mobility and career dislocation often accompanied changes in post-migration individual status. In the theoretical approach I am elaborating about my journey in finding the appropriate approach, starting from the possible approaches journey, introducing in brief of Bennet’s DMIS and social integration. It then ends by selected approach for my research, which is postcolonial feminism approach. Bennett’s ethno-relativism focuses more on the psychological scope and limits the development stages of ethnocentric only until integration process. While postcolonial feminism gives me more variety and flexibility in analyzing the data after my research subjects pass through the integration time, due to the fact that every person has its own context. The methodologies of this research is consist of qualitative, the narrative research and auto-ethnography. Qualitative methodology research is able to provide understanding of highlighting and investigating the social processes of migration decision making. In social research, the life story experiences have known as narrative research and a part of qualitative approach that could explain and help to understand social change in society. In auto-ethnography methodology, researcher can use her own personal experiences and studied along with other research subjects and look more deeply in self-other interaction. I conducted the interview by using open ended-interview. The data collection process began by searching research subjects, Indonesian women who got married with a Finnish man and who have been living in Finland for minimum period of three years. The length of period is enough time to adapt into Finnish culture and society. The main research question is “How do Indonesian women portray their post-migration life in Finland?” Following sub-research questions: (1) What kind of challenges do Indonesian women tells during a post-migration period of minimum of three years of living in Finland? (2) What kind of positive experiences do Indonesian women tell during this post-migration period? (3) How do Indonesian women account their personal changes during the period? (4) How do Indonesian women portray their future? The differences in climate and weather condition are usually the first thing migrants notice once they step to Finland. It then follows by the language, cultures and social challenges. Despite the challenges that have been face by the Indonesian women, there are many positive experiences as well. After the post-migration period, the Indonesian women are able to speak Finnish language and use that skill to socialize not only with Finnish people but also with fellow immigrants. The role of work office plays a big part in helping my research subjects settling in Finland. They are also able to get a job based on their interest and professional background. After living couple of years, some Finnish cultures affecting them personally in a more positive way. For example, they are becoming more independent and have higher self-esteem. All of my research subjects are most likely plan to continue their social mobility elsewhere, and plan to go back to Indonesia during their retirement period. Although all of my research subjects have to experience downward mobility, none of them complains about their current work life and career choice. To start a new life in a new country is always challenging for every immigrants. However, to face and how to handle the challenges are much more important to survive living in a new country. Be positive, embrace the difference and be active in socializing with local people and other fellow immigrants. The target audiences for this research are those who are interested in finding out about Asian women’s (particularly Indonesian women) post-migration experience, how they manage to adapt and integrate in a new culture and society.