| Summary: | In this dissertation I explore the relationship between women, the state, and religious institutions in western Austria--the most conservative part of the country. The fall of the Iron Curtain triggered widespread fears of massive migration flows from Eastern Europe, and created strong sentiments against migrants, especially those from the East and South and led to a rise in ethnocentrism and xenophobia. Turks, who comprise the largest migrant population, are especially vulnerable to the resulting discriminatory practices and attitudes.The questions I posed focused on how Turkish women who have arrived since the economic boom of the 1980s, their children born in Austria, and women of pre-WWII Austrian ancestry deal with the challenges integration brings. Further, I examine the effect patriarchal, elitist discourse has on both Austrian and Turkish migrant women's self-perception, sociopolitical status and their worldviews.
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