Güney Olcay Özer

Working with and Against Stereotypes: Representations of Honor Among Turkish Immigrant Women in a Migrant Association in Berlin Güney Olcay Özer

This research offers an ethnographic analysis of twelve German-Turkish women who are members and also active workers of Türkische Gemeinde in Deutschland(TGD)association. The study aimed to focus on three major discourses of immigrant women on three major debates;1)diversity in terms of heterogeneous identities,2)integration of foreigners 3) Gender equality and honor perceptions. The primal aim of conducting in depth interviews with the intent of pursuing the life stories was to follow their own discursive constructions regarding their status of ?being an immigrant? and also their ensuing floating discourses on ?honor?. Through the research,two recurring motifs appeared spontaneously in narratives:virginity and headscarf. These two notions were paramount in almost every interviewee?s identification with the image of the German- Turkish immigrant woman. The main goal of this research was to allow these women to speak out as individuals who wish to construct their own identities and definitions of honor as opposed to being confined by stereotypes.