This report is based on student research conducted in Berlin universities. The research’s main theme is the notion of “Migrant women” into two different categories: Non-EU and EU citizen women. Main objective is to find if these women faced any discrimination in academia and beyond (i.e. daily lives etc.) depending on their country of origin. Therefore, the main research question of this student-based research is: “What is the perception of foreign women in German academia and beyond?”.
The theoretical framework is built upon the intersectionality principle, international migration theories, and gendered organisations (in relation to migration). Intersectionality is the core theoretical framework of the research. The main expectation is that migrant women face discrimination in academia and beyond. Furthermore, the discrimination’s expectation is to find differences between countries (non-EU vs EU).
In order to grasp the nuances of such research, a qualitative interview method was chosen and conducted with a semi-structured schema. The qualitative interviews enlightened important connections between the notion of gendered organisations, racism, as well as the notion of “migrant women”. As the key findings, the expectations were met with exceptional cases: Migrant women tend to face more discrimination when they are from non-EU countries. These exceptional cases and the expected findings direct the newer and different areas of the research with an emphasis on intersectionality research.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Literature Review and Theories
2.1. Intersectionality
2.2. Migration Theories
2.3. Women in Migration
3. Methodology
4. Results and Discussion
5. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Key Topics
This research aims to investigate whether migrant women studying at universities in Berlin experience discrimination in academia and their daily lives, specifically comparing the experiences of women from EU and non-EU countries. The study seeks to understand how their intersectional identities—based on gender, country of origin, and student status—influence their academic and social experiences in Germany.
- Intersectional perspectives on gender and migration
- Comparative analysis of EU and non-EU migrant women
- Challenges within the German labour market and academic system
- The impact of German language proficiency on integration
- Structural barriers and the role of socioeconomic status
Excerpt from the Publication
2.1. Intersectionality
The term “intersectionality” was first coined by sociologist Kimberle Crenshaw in 1989. Being an African American (AA), she saw the emergence of African American women’s needs in terms of different identities. While one identity tends to be viewed by another, the term allowed more inclusiveness into academic thinking. As “intersectionality was inclusive by design; it focused on how intersections along axes of identity reinforced marginalization” (As Al-Faham et al., p. 248).
Mentioning discrimination and intersectionality, it should also be noted that sometimes we might not know what the problem arises. For example, being a migrant woman has two identities: migrant and woman. When there is a discrimination towards this woman, there might be a case where the one identity of ‘woman’ is brought more to the front than the other identity (in this case ‘migrant’). Crenshaw suggests that discrimination can come from different realms and sometimes it can come from all of the identities. She calls the discrimination of all identities as “double discrimination”. Double discrimination can have similarities with other people who “share” this identity. As Crenshaw writes:
“Black women sometimes experience discrimination in ways similar to white women's experiences; sometimes they share very similar experiences with Black men. Yet often they experience double-discrimination—the combined effects of practices which discriminate on the basis of race, and on the basis of sex. And sometimes, they experience discrimination as Black women—not the sum of race and sex discrimination, but as Black women.” (Crenshaw, 1989, p. 149).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the focus on migrant women in Berlin academia and establishes the research question regarding perceptions of discrimination based on country of origin.
2. Literature Review and Theories: This section outlines the theoretical foundation of the research, focusing on intersectionality, international migration theories, and the positionality of women in migration literature.
3. Methodology: This chapter details the qualitative research approach, specifically the use of semi-structured interviews and snowball sampling with female students from Berlin universities.
4. Results and Discussion: This section presents the empirical findings from the interviews, highlighting how financial constraints, language barriers, and cultural factors shape the experiences of migrant women.
5. Conclusion: This chapter synthesizes the main findings, noting that while participants experience various forms of discrimination and challenges, the intersectional role of nationality and class remains a critical factor in their migration experience.
Keywords
Gender, German Academia, Intersectionality, Migration, EUvsnonEU, Migrant Women, Discrimination, Higher Education, Qualitative Research, Social Identity, Labour Market, Integration, Student Migration, Socioeconomic Status, Inclusion
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The research explores the perceptions and experiences of migrant women studying in Berlin, focusing on whether they encounter discrimination in academic and daily life based on their EU or non-EU citizenship.
What are the central thematic areas?
The core themes include intersectionality, gender-based and country-based discrimination, the role of German language proficiency, and the financial challenges faced by international students.
What is the core research question?
The study asks: "What is the perception of foreign women in German academia and beyond?"
Which methodology does the author employ?
The research uses a qualitative method, specifically semi-structured interviews with eight female Master's and PhD students, analyzed using the MAXQDA software.
What does the main body of the paper cover?
The main body examines literature on migration and gender, details the methodological framework, discusses empirical results regarding labour market access and language barriers, and offers a conclusion on the implications for migration policy.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Key terms include Gender, Intersectionality, Migration, German Academia, and EUvsnonEU.
How does citizenship status influence the financial experiences of these students?
The research indicates that non-EU students often face more restrictive financial hurdles, such as visa-related work limitations and fewer scholarship opportunities, compared to their EU counterparts.
What role does the German language play in the participants' experience?
Language proficiency is identified as a significant barrier; the inability to speak German often leads to difficulties in securing jobs related to the students' fields of study, regardless of their nationality.
How is "intersectionality" applied to the participants' experiences?
The author uses intersectionality to demonstrate that the participants' identities as women, migrants, and students overlap, creating unique and complex forms of marginalization that are often overlooked in traditional migration research.
- Quote paper
- Özden Bulutbeyaz (Author), 2024, Gendered Understanding in Academia and Beyond. A Comparative Analysis Study of Non-EU and EU Citizen Women, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1597117
