Conference Agenda

Gender pay gap, unfavourable working conditions for mothers, and lack of all-day childcare facilities are examples of marginalised situations for women all over Europe. These inequalities are a social problem that have an impact at various levels, including their educational and career path, as women's skills and abilities are often not recognised. Similar situations occur with racialised people such as migrants and refugees, where their bodies and perspectives are excluded e.g. in political and academic spaces and discourses often wrongly marked as too personal, too emotional and too subjective (Kilomba 2016). Accordingly, women who are racialised are facing marginalising structures in the intersection of gender and race not only individually, but also structurally and institutionally.

The research issue to be discussed here is how these discriminatory structures affect migrant-ised women in their everyday life, especially in their educational and career paths. By using the term ‘migrant-ised’ the authors highlight the complex process of migrant-isation, where (forcedly) moving people and their following generations are turned into migrants and acknowledges the institutionalised sociopolitical category of governance and power the terms migrant and migration are filled with (Worm 2023). Following this critical approach, the symposium aims to analyse the discriminatory structures migrant-ised women face due to the intersection of gender, race and class by centralising so far untold stories of migrant-ised women in educational research. The necessity of these often-excluded voices to be heard - especially in academic discourses - has derived from their value to detect and dismantle the faced discriminatory structures.

The first paper presents findings from an ongoing research project with migrant women. Taking a (self-)critical look at the asymmetrical interview settings in terms of race, language, class and academic status, the researcher shows how including a joint research perspective can become. This is seen not only as an aspect of the data-production, but more so in the research process, as it can affect the whole research project and its output. This leads to new insights, enables new ways of tackling racism, gives way to politicisation, solidarisation and perhaps even to the educational process of gaining agency (Bildung).

The second paper examines the intersection of language barriers, gender dynamics, and epistemic justice encountered by Arab women pursuing doctoral studies in the UK. The study, employing feminist theory, uses qualitative methods, including 15 semi-structured interviews, to explore the challenges of mastering English and the access to the academic discourse. Unveiling the unique pressures and biases faced by these women, the research highlights equity issues in academic leadership and mentorship and advocates for inclusive practices.

The third paper aims to contribute to a reflexive perspective on the positionality of White and BIPOC researchers in European societies and focuses on challenges of researching racial injustice, highlighting the impact of researchers' social positioning and biases. It emphasises the importance of reflective practices, particularly in qualitative research, and advocates for increased participation of BIPOC researchers. The presentation centres on a study that examines the education of migrant and refugee students in Germany and highlights the tensions reflected in interactions between interview partners and the female migrant-ised researcher.

Following the reflexive approaches the question of (language) barriers and the term migrant-ised will be critically discussed in the symposium considering the fact that even this term contributes to the wrong essentialisation of a homogenous and singular group and can be traced back to the national socio-political and historical differences of used terms like ethnicity and race between UK and Germany (Chadderton & Wischmann 2014). The terms and concepts used in these discussions involve the challenges and opportunities of integrating individuals in societal discourses in order to overcome exclusion.

In the realm of higher education, the issue of language barriers among international students transcends mere linguistic challenges; it represents a multifaceted hurdle with profound implications for their academic journey. For Arab women pursuing doctoral studies in the UK, this challenge is particularly pronounced, as they grapple not only with mastering English as an additional language but also with navigating the intricacies of academic discourse and engaging in scholarly debates within a non-native linguistic and cultural context (Badwan, 2021). This paper delves into the intricate relationship between language barriers, gender dynamics, and epistemic justice faced by Arab women doctoral students. Drawing on feminist theory (Bell, 2016) and epistemology of resistance (Medina, 2013), the study seeks to unravel the nuanced challenges these women encounter in accessing knowledge and participating in academic discourse within the British higher education landscape. Central to this exploration is the recognition of the intersectionality of gender, ethnicity, religion, and nationality, which further complicates their academic journey. Gendered expectations and cultural norms impose unique pressures on Arab women doctoral students, influencing their confidence levels, assertiveness in academic settings, and access to support networks. Stereotypes and biases rooted in ethnicity and gender may further marginalise these women, hindering their ability to fully participate and thrive within academic communities. Moreover, issues of equity in knowledge access loom large, with limited representation in academic leadership and research positions restricting their access to mentorship, funding opportunities, and institutional support (Okan, 2019). To unpack these complexities, the study adopts a qualitative approach, gathering insights from semi-structured interviews with 15 Arab women doctoral students in British universities. Thematic analysis illuminates 3 key research questions surrounding language barriers, access to epistemic justice, and the gendered dimensions of their experiences. By providing a platform for these voices to be heard, the research sheds light on the intersecting challenges faced by international Arab women students and contributes to a deeper understanding of language barriers in doctoral education. In advocating for inclusive practices, the paper calls for targeted interventions that transcend essentialism and coloniality in language (Gabriel & Tate, 2017). It underscores the importance of raising awareness, fostering solidarity, and promoting activism within academic communities to create a more just and accessible educational environment for all. Ultimately, by recognising and addressing the intersecting challenges faced by Arab women doctoral students, universities can take significant strides towards fostering a more equitable and inclusive academic landscape.

Badwan, K. (2021). Language and Social (In)Justice. In K. Badwan [ed.]: Language in a Globalised World Social Justice Perspectives on Mobility and Contact. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-77087-7_9 Bell, L. (2016). Theoretical foundations for social justice education. In M. Adams & L. A. Bell [Eds.]: Teaching for diversity and social justice. (pp. 3–26). New York: Routledge. Freire, P. (2000). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Gabriel, D. (2021). Race, ethnicity and gendered educational intersections. Gender and Education, 33(,), pp. 791-797 https://doi.org/10.1080/09540253.2021.1967667 Gabriel, D., and S. A. Tate. 2017. Inside the Ivory Tower: Narratives of Women of Colour Surviving and Thriving in British Academia. London: Trentham Books. Medina, J. (2013). The epistemology of Resistance. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Okan, Z. (2019). Language and Social Justice. In R. Papa [eds.]: Handbook on Promoting Social Justice in Education. Cham: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74078-2_111-1

This paper presents insights into an ongoing research project with female migrants who came to Germany from the Middle East as adults, often mothers. Most of them are refugees. This project was planned as a ‘classic’ biographical study with aim to reconstruct experience of different societal groups in terms of education in transnational contexts. Even though the researcher is familiar and sensible for critical race and critical whiteness perspectives and the dilemma of voice in asymmetric interview-settings (in terms of race, language, class and academic status) and hence willing to reflect this, she was surprised by the way the “participants” turned the projects into their own political project. The interviews were conceptualised as narrative interviews (Schütze 2012). These interviews are usually conducted between two people: the interviewer and the interviewee. This setting was the first thing that has been transformed, because many of the interviews were part of a larger group in the setting of a women’s project at a refugee support centre. The second thing was language. Most women wanted to speak German and did it, but they also switched to Arabic. Some interviews were solely in Arabic and were translated after transcription. Hence, the hegemony of German was not only addressed but relativized at least to some extent. Thirdly, the women became involved into the process of publication and hence to re-appropriate their stories. The whole research process became a joint project within the context of a refugee initiative in Flensburg. From a Critical Race (Delgado et al. 2023) and Critical Whiteness (Applebaum 2016) point of view it is important to name and hear racial and with-it intersectional power structures also on the level of research (Chadderton 2012). In this paper will be outlined, in which ways racial lines are tackled and at the same time politization and solidarization is practiced and bound back to biographies. This might open new perspectives on education or Bildung as process of gaining and maintaining agency (Wischmann 2018). Therefore, two of the (so far 8) interviews as (counter)stories (Solorzano and Yosso 2001) will be presented. The interviews are analysed with a reconstructive, narrative-analytical approach (Rosenthal 1993).

Applebaum, B. (2016). Critical Whiteness Studies. In: Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education. Online verfügbar unter https://oxfordre.com/education/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.001.0001/acrefore-9780190264093-e-5?source=post_page---------------------------. Chadderton, C. (2012). Problematising the role of the white researcher in social justice research. In: Ethnography and Education 7 (3), S. 363–380. DOI: 10.1080/17457823.2012.717203. Delgado, R.; Stefancic, J.; Harris, Angela P. (2023): Critical race theory. An introduction. Fourth edition. New York: New York University Press (Critical America). Rosenthal, Gabriele (1993): Reconstruction of life stories: principles of selection in generating stories for narrative biographical interviews. In: The narrative study of lives 1 (1), S. 59–91. Online verfügbar unter https://www.ssoar.info/ssoar/handle/document/5929. Schütze, F. (2012). Biographieforschung und narratives Interview. In: Oral history. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag. Solorzano, D. G.; Yosso, T. J. (2001). Critical race and LatCrit theory and method: Counter-storytelling. In:International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education 14 (4), S. 471–495. DOI: 10.1080/09518390110063365. Wischmann, A. (2018). The absence of ‘race’ in German discourses on Bildung. Rethinking Bildung with critical race theory. Race Ethnicity and Education, 21(4), 471-485. https://doi.org/10.1080/13613324.2016.1248834

Various research disciplines address social injustice using different methodologies. When analysing and approaching racial injustice, there is a relevant debate on how structures of injustice and racism are reproduced by White researchers (Scharathow 2014; Rühlmann 2023). While there is already knowledge about the role of researchers in qualitative studies and the significance of reflecting on the power dynamic they hold, it is a different context when the researchers themselves belong to a minority within academia (Karabulut 2022). Usually, researchers who are not BIPOC and come from 'educated' middle-class families (ibid.) are the norm. However, when researchers share the same social positioning as the individuals being studied, it raises questions such as how interviewees will react and what kind of information will be shared. Additionally, it is important to determine the extent to which the data is evaluated, analysed, and interpreted. Creswell (2015) suggests that one criterion for qualitative research is reflecting on one's own subjective positioning. Therefore, it is important for researchers to be aware of the potential influence of their experiences, preconceptions, and beliefs, and to reflect on them. This is particularly relevant in research approaches such as Critical Whiteness Theory (e.g. Collins 2000, Kilomba 2016). Additionally, it is crucial for BIPOC researchers to conduct more research on topics relevant to BIPOC in order to broaden the discourse. The presentation aims to initiate a discussion on how perspectives and positionality influence data acquisition, analysis, and research outcomes. To connect this reflexive approach to an ongoing study, we will introduce data from two research projects. Addressing the practices and challenges associated with the education of migrant and refugee students, 18 qualitative semi-structured interviews with teachers and school leaders were conducted across six secondary schools in Germany. Newly arrived migrant students are usually placed in separate classes with a focus on rapidly acquiring German as an additional language for academic purposes. The data collected and interactions during data collection reflect a habitual inclination towards monolingualism. It highlights the complex and ambivalent positions of teachers, as well as their varied actions and reflections regarding the incorporation of students' multilingual competencies in the German classroom. The study reveals the challenges faced by educators in balancing linguistic diversity and the prevailing monolingual educational norms. The interactions of the interview partners with the female migrant-ised researcher mirror these tensions and shall be focused on in this paper. The second project focuses on high-achieving women's biographies.

Creswell, J. W. (2015). 30 Essential skills for the qualitative researcher (1st ed.). Sage. Hill Collins, P. (2000). Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203900055 Karabulut, A. (2020). Rassismuserfahrungen von Schüler*innen: Institutionelle Grenzziehungen an Schulen. Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden. Kilomba, G. (2016). Plantation memories: Episodes of everyday racism (4. Aufl). Unrast. Rühlmann, L. (2023): Race, Language, and Subjectivation. A Raciolinguistic Perspective on Schooling Experiences in Germany. Springer: Wiesbaden Scharathow, W. (2014). Vom Objekt zum Subjekt. Über erforderliche Reflexionen in der Migrations- und Rassismusforschung. In: Broden, A. & Mecheril, P. (2010): Rassismus bildet. Bielefeld: transcript Verlag. https://doi.org/10.14361/transcript.9783839414569.87