The Accidental Diplomat

by Katherine Hughes

Reviewed by Pamela Perraud

At last someone has devoted a book to the trials and tribulations of the Foreign Service spouse which goes beyond the usual anecdotes of tea parties and cultural misunderstandings. It is a thorough exploration of the motivations and levels of satisfaction felt by current spouses, expressed in clear, easy-to-read language.

Ms. Hughes, a former Foreign Service brat, has chosen a worthy subject and treated it with care, compassion and a critical eye. She explores the generational differences between spouses who joined before the women's movement and those who served after. She highlights the differences in perceptions, aspirations and levels of contentment of the two groups, which is fascinating to read because it confirms what many had guessed--there is indeed a huge gap.

For her study, she personally interviewed over fifty spouses; the majority, of course, were women, which also reflects the actual situation of the Foreign Service. The spouses ranged in age from 27 to 73 and had been posted all over the world. She quoted many at length about what they thought they were "getting into" and what in fact they found the Foreign Service to be.

She devotes a lot of time explaining how the role of the Foreign Service spouse has evolved over time. She highlights the efforts the government has made in trying to change the role into a more modern, flexible role; however, it appears that the current situation is still considered unsatisfactory for many new spouses. As the author puts it, there is a Acultural lag....In the Foreign Service, the traditional roles of men and women were incorporated into the organization, to its advantage. The situation of women married to US Foreign Service officers illustrates the conflicts between changes in women's opportunities and roles, brought about by the women's movement, and traditional social structures that still constrain and direct women's choices vis-B-vis family and paid employment."

Despite the numerous attempts of the government to modify the status quo, it remains a doubtful proposition that the Foreign Service will actually reform the voluntary servitude of spouses until the entire system breaks down. The current system has served the government too well in the past.

This is an interesting and provocative book, a definite must for the current Foreign Service spouse.

Pamela Perraud is President of Global Transitions a company specializing in cross cultural training and spouse employment assistance for families moving abroad. A human resource professional who has lived abroad over 20 years in France, Brazil, England, Mexico and Holland, Pam has been active in many expatriate organizations. She was a founder of FOCUS Information Services in London, was a former President of WICE in Paris and was an organizer of the first Women on the Move conference in Paris in 1990. She is currently the NGO representative of the Federation of American Women Clubs Overseas (FAWCO)at the United Nations in New York.

© 1998 ISBN: 0-9639260-7-1 $17.95

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