The meaning of city living for rural migrant women and their role in migration: the case of Turkey

Abstract

This article explores the meaning of city living for Turkish women and the role women play both in the migration process and in establishing their lives in the city. It brings out the voices of women and lets them speak about their own experiences. It challenges the stereotypical images of Islamic migrant women who are depicted as passive followers of their husbands to the city and as subordinate or passive in the city. It uncovers the importance of religious sects (i.e., Alevi and Sunnite) in determining the relative power of Muslim women. It demonstrates the initiative and hard work of migrant women, and hence evidences their struggles, which bring some positive changes to their lives in the city. © 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd