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Intersectionality and Integration in the Experiences of Women Refugees in Berlin

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Intersectionality and Integration in the Experiences of Women Refugees in Berlin “I Am Here”: Intersectionality and Integration in the Experiences of Women Refugees in Berlin Lea Freudenberg Graphic on cover page by the author. ii “I Am Here”: Intersectionality and Integration in the Experiences of Women Refugees in Berlin Lea Freudenberg s1026705 Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Science Human Geography: Conflicts, Territories and Identities Nijmegen School of Management Radboud University Supervisor: Dr Olivier Kramsch August 2020 iii Acknowledgements I am deeply grateful to my supervisor, Dr Olivier Kramsch, for his encouragement, patience, and valuable feedback which greatly supported me in shaping this thesis. Additionally, I would like to extend my special thanks to Kolar Aparna for her guidance in selecting both theory and methodology during the early stages of this thesis. I would further like to acknowledge my colleagues from my internship at DESI – Institut für Demokratische Entwicklung und Soziale Integration, especially Dr Frank Gesemann and Alexander Seidel, for welcoming me into their team and giving me the opportunity to contribute to their research. My sincerest thanks to Lisa Gilmozzi (Nachbarschaftszentrum Steinmetzstraße, Pestalozzi- Fröbel-Haus), Barbara Dieckmann, and Susanne Strätz (both Mittelhof e.V.) for allowing me to participate in various activities, introducing me to so many amazing individuals, and for providing me with the opportunity of having a conversation to gain a different perspective on integration policies and practices in Berlin. Moreover, I would like to extend my gratitude to Eitan Hussien (Mittelhof e.V.) for her support at the Interkulturelle Gruppe für Frauen in ensuring that our conversations did not get ‘lost in translation’. Thank you also to the many volunteers for making me feel welcome and including me in the activities. Most importantly, however, I am indebted to the wonderful women who agreed to share their stories with me. Your strength and resilience are truly inspiring, and I am grateful for every conversation we had. Without you, this thesis would not exist. Finally, I would like to thank Andrew and Barbara Davy, David Desfosses, Dr Rachel Guyet, Max Olgemöller, and Suzanne Stiekema for their support in finalising this thesis. Lea Freudenberg August 2020 iv Table of Contents Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................... iv List of Figures .......................................................................................................................... vii List of Tables ............................................................................................................................ vii List of Acronyms ...................................................................................................................... vii Abstract ................................................................................................................................... viii 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Societal Relevance ............................................................................................................ 3 1.2 Scientific Relevance ......................................................................................................... 4 1.3 Aim of the Research ......................................................................................................... 6 2. Theoretical Framework: Integrating Concepts ....................................................................... 7 2.1 Literature Review ............................................................................................................. 7 2.2 Defining the Key Terms ................................................................................................. 10 2.2.1 Identity ..................................................................................................................... 10 2.2.2 Intersectionality ........................................................................................................ 11 2.2.3 Gender ...................................................................................................................... 13 2.2.4 Place ......................................................................................................................... 15 2.2.5 Home ........................................................................................................................ 16 2.2.6 Belonging ................................................................................................................. 17 2.2.7 (Migrant) Place-making ........................................................................................... 18 2.3 Doing Integration: Conceptualising the Rooting in Place .............................................. 19 2.3.1 (Re-)Defining Integration ........................................................................................ 19 2.3.2 Describing Performativity ........................................................................................ 22 3. Contextualisation: Integration Polic(y)ing in Germany and Berlin ..................................... 26 3.1 Citizenship and the Immigration Discourse in Germany ............................................... 26 3.2 Integration Polic(y)ing in Berlin ..................................................................................... 30 4. Methodological Approach .................................................................................................... 34 v 4.1 Positionality .................................................................................................................... 34 4.2 Case Selection ................................................................................................................. 36 4.3 Data Collection ............................................................................................................... 42 4.4 Data Analysis .................................................................................................................. 47 5. Rooting Oneself: Women Refugees’ Integration Experiences in Berlin ............................. 49 5.1 Being in Place: Accommodation, the Neighbourhood, and Home ................................. 49 5.2 Networking: Social Connections in a Global Place ........................................................ 55 5.3 Integration Polic(y)ing: Language, Education, and Employment .................................. 59 5.4 Defining Oneself: Identity .............................................................................................. 64 6. Discussing the Network of Theoretical Conceptualisation and Lived Experience .............. 67 7. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 72 7.1 Limitations ...................................................................................................................... 73 7.2 Suggestions for Further Research ................................................................................... 74 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................. 75 Appendix A .............................................................................................................................. 85 Appendix B .............................................................................................................................. 88 Appendix C .............................................................................................................................. 90 Appendix D .............................................................................................................................. 91 Appendix E ............................................................................................................................... 92 vi List of Figures Figure 1. Map of Berlin Showing the Location of Schöneberg Nord ..................................... 37 Figure 2. Map of Berlin Showing the Location of Zehlendorf ............................................... 39 List of Tables Table 1. Sociodemographic Data for the Berlin, Schöneberg Nord, and Zehlendorf ............. 38 Table 2. Overview of the Respondents (Interviews) ............................................................... 43 List of Acronyms BENN Berlin Entwickelt Neue Nachbarschaften / Berlin Creates New Neighbourhoods CDU Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands / Christian Democratic Union of Germany EU European Union GDR German Democratic Republic LADS Landesstelle für Gleichbehandlung – gegen Diskriminierung / Berlin State Office for Equal Treatment and against Discrimination LeNa Lebendige Nachbarschaft / Lively Neighbourhood LGBT Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender NM Quartiersmanagement / Neighbourhood Management NSU Nationalsozialistischer Untergrund / National Socialist Underground SPD Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands / Social Democratic Party of Germany WANA West Asia and North Africa vii Abstract This thesis examines the influence of the intersectionality of a group of women refugees in Berlin on their social and spatial integration. It draws on critical geographic discourses around place, home, and identity to re-imagine integration
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