Thesis abstract:

research study investigating how young Sydney-based Chinese people manage their household finances within their romantic relationship. It aims to explore how couples and families negotiate the dual living experience of traditional Chinese family values and Western liberal ideas about equality and freedom in an Australian context. The research looks into how the experience of living and/or being educated in Australia over a significant period of time (i.e. 12 months) affects how individuals organise their household economy and manage their money with their husband/wife/partner, as well as its potential impacts on the gender roles, household formation, and intergenerational relationships. By looking specifically into practices of giving money as gifts in the relationships such as marriage, the couple’s choice of managing their household finances, and the practice of Bridewealth (i.e. Bride Price and Dowry), this study aims to offer a lens onto the lives of some people in the Chinese diaspora in Sydney.