Broadening the understanding of employment and identity of Syrian women living in Germany: A biographical study

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Abstract
Women who are forced migrants are often seen as a vulnerable group. To gain an understanding of the interplay of (forced) migration, employment and identity of professionally qualified Syrian women living in Germany, a biographical study focusing on the participants’ professional history was conducted. Data gathered through narrative interviews with five women were analyzed using the method of reconstructing narrative identity. Results show the dynamic interplay between social, temporal and self-referential dimensions of identity constructs, with the five intertwined themes: 1) Education as a socio-economic resource, 2) Significance of related persons, 3) Career development expectations vs reality, 4) Professional (re)orientation in Germany and 5) Future employment prospects. The present time is described as a transitional process, highlighting the meaning of work. Positionings in the women’s narratives reveal that traditional collective orientations seem to compete with individual orientations developed in the new cultural context. The results make clear the number of difficult contextual challenges the women have to face, and how strenuous this can be. The concept of narrative identity provides an approach to achieve a better understanding of the intersection of employment and identity against the background of forced migration.

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