Title: “Raising a daughter is like watering your neighbour’s garden” - En etnografisk studie kring flickors uppväxt och skapande av identitet utifrån två flickhem i Nepal.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine how young girls shape their identities within an institutional environment in Nepal. We aim to highlight the importance of family and how the social status of women in Nepal affects the girls’ identity process. The results of the study are based on empirical material collected through five qualitative interviews with personnel at two different orphanages in Kathmandu, Nepal. The interviews were of semi-structured nature to provide scope for follow-up questions and discussions. In order to gain a deeper understanding, participatory observation was also conducted at both orphanages. The collected material has mainly been analysed based on symbolic interactionism and research on the concept of being a family. For a deeper understanding, the theoretical concepts of intersectionality have also been used. The results show that family is of great importance for the identity. What is evident, however, is the complexity of the family and that the concept and its meaning can be redefined. The study’s results also demonstrate that the social and cultural context in which the girls grow up are important for the development of identity.