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Turkish Women vs. Women from Turkey: Contextual Gendered Racialization
Abstract
This paper critically addresses a conspicuous void within transnational feminist studies by meticulously examining the intricate process of identity formation among immigrant women from Turkey residing in the U.S. Coined as ‘contextual racialization’, the research rigorously scrutinizes their racial experiences, the nuanced racialization specificities linked to the spatial contexts, and the pivotal role of agency in shaping self-identification. Through the adept application of in-depth interviews and observational methods, this study not only dismantles prevalent stereotypes but also enriches the scholarly landscape with a nuanced comprehension of the intricate racialization processes that impact Muslim women originating from the Global South with a particular focus on women from Turkey. Meticulously exploring the nexus of gender, race, and religion in the migration and re-identification processes of women from Turkey and positioning identity as an ongoing and dynamic construct shaped by interaction, space, and power structures, the study seamlessly integrates racialization theories into transnational feminism studies. Extending the existing racialization theories to both pre-migration and post-migration experiences, it accentuates the pivotal role of agency in the intricate tapestry of identity construction. This scholarly endeavor vehemently calls for a nuanced, inclusive, and contextually driven analysis, seeking to disentangle the complexities embedded within these multifaceted constructs. At its core, this study endeavors to dismantle prevailing knowledge frameworks, spotlighting and redressing the prevailing epistemological inequalities rampant within transnational feminist studies. The research not only explores but actively champions spatial possibilities of resistance, transcending binary constructions, and carving out spaces conducive to authentic self-expression. Positioned as a robust feminist ethnographic study, this research employs an array of meticulously chosen methodologies, including in-depth interviews and participant observation. Operating within the expansive framework of transnational feminism, augmented by a judicious infusion of race and critical migration lenses, the study adeptly applies narrative analysis. Recognizing the centrality of agency, reflexivity serves as the guiding compass, seamlessly steering the incorporation of the researcher's experience and observations. This scholarly undertaking staunchly aims to contribute not merely to the corpus of knowledge but to actively reshape it, offering a nuanced and illuminating perspective on the reidentification experiences of immigrant women and concurrently challenging the entrenched epistemological inequalities within transnational feminist and race studies. In conclusion , this feminist ethnographic research assertively emphasize the imperative to position these women as theorists in their own right, unequivocally championing the recognition and amplification of their voices within academic discourse.
Discipline
Interdisciplinary
Geographic Area
Turkey
Sub Area
None