Can Turkish-Origin Immigrant Girls Become German Citizen Women? Identity Development of Immigrant-Origin Youth in Germany

• In Event: Democratic Citizenship in Education Paper Session 3

Abstract

This project examines the key limitations and challenges in German society Turkish origin young women describe as obstacles to their well-being and success. Participants were female Turkish-origin youth (2nd generation German or later, 13-21 years old) from the most disadvantaged areas in Western Germany (focus group and individual interviews). Using a primarily grounded theory approach (Charmaz, 2014), results suggest that while participants perceived Turkish and German identity as mutually exclusive, they nevertheless expressed their own capabilities toward honoring both their immigrant and emerging German identities via the pursuit of education and other means of identity building toward belonging.

Author

• Pinar Burcu Guner