'Astronaut' wives: Perceptions of changes in family roles

This paper examines the family relationships of five 'astronaut' wives from Hong Kong following their migration to Brisbane, Australia. We focused specifically on the women's experiences of spousal and parental relationships, along with changes in their roles and responsibilities that have accompanied their emigration with their children while their husbands remained in Hong Kong. There are two major observations from their accounts. The first is an apparent paradox in that while the women appear to have embraced a more modem lifestyle - living separately from their husbands and taking on greater day-to-day decision-making responsibilities - they have assumed more traditional roles. They have full responsibility for child rearing and they are totally financially dependent on their husbands. The second observation is that the women's migration experiences differed according to their perceptions of the nature and quality of spousal relationship. Thus, while these women appear to be in similar circumstances, a closer examination of their lived experiences revealed significant differences