Mid- and Later Life Cross-Sex Friendships in Minority Ethnic Contexts: Insights From Scotland

This article draws on qualitative research among older adults (50+ years) of South Asian heritage in Scotland to explore what cross-sex friendships reveal about the normative tenor of gender, sexualities, and intimate relationships in minority ethnic contexts. I argue that South Asian cultural norms work against the ‘patterning’ and maintenance of cross-sex friendships. When they do occur, they have to be managed with regard to familial ties and community expectations. The risks are greater for women who must deal with policing of their sexuality even as they age. Such friendships signal social change and agency within the diasporic communities. Yet they require negotiation of gendered and ethnic/cultural scripts and point to the continuing significance of kin and community.