At the Intersections of Resistance: Turkish Immigrant Women in German Schools

This paper focuses on two main guiding questions: first, what are the experiences of Turkish women in the German educational system; second, to what extent do state policies, cultural pressure, and personal choice influence the decision to pursue higher education? Using intersectionality as a methodology, this paper elucidates how women navigate the educational system to reduce educational and social marginalization. These main topics are explored through document and cultural artifact analysis and semi-structured interviews with women of Turkish descent in Berlin. Results of this study reveal that, far from the reductionist view often held of the Turkish female population in Germany, which places them as victims of an oppressive and traditionally patriarchal culture, each woman provided unique perspectives on educational achievement, gendered family dynamics, and their self-identification.