'Husband's career first'

Abstract

An increasing number of professional Chinese have been coming to Britain for further education and employment in the last two decades. However, studies on the employment of Chinese migrants in Britain remain limited, particularly of women professionals from mainland China who enter Britain as the following spouse.This article compares the career experience of the ‘trailing’ wives of Chinese academic couples before and after their migration. It investigates what barriers migrant Chinese professional women may encounter in Britain; what familial strategy they adopt in advancing the family's economic and social position; how these Chinese women balance their work and family commitment; what support they receive from their husband to rebuild their career; how they adjust to their new life in Britain; and how they renegotiate their new social identity.