Women’s Time, Women’s Space.
a Study of Ukrainian Forced Migrant Women in Konstanz. the Roles and Paths
of Women Mastering Their Lives in Germany.
Women’s Time, Women’s Space.
a Study of Ukrainian Forced Migrant Women in Konstanz. the Roles and Paths
of Women Mastering Their Lives in Germany.
Monday, 7 July 2025: 15:30
Location: SJES006 (Faculty of Legal, Economic, and Social Sciences (JES))
Oral Presentation
Every migration, especially those caused by war or other
disasters, has the power to challenge family and family roles in a far-reaching and stressful,
sometimes upsetting way. The main components are intensified, the responsibilities,
connections, relationships are emphasized in their functioning and non-functioning aspects,
and new problems are created.
In our paper, we would like to explore these questions based on our data collected with
qualitative and quantitative methods (with help of narrative interviews and a web survey). The
focus is on refugees from Ukraine who have found a new home at Lake Konstanz.
Families of varying composition have arrived in Konstanz and the surrounding area: single
mothers, young women with parents and grandparents; siblings with families; women who
left their husbands in Ukraine, women who were single parents (separated or divorced)
already before the war began, women who took their unresolved family situations with them
to Germany. Different generations are represented. Migrants from different cities and regions
of Ukraine are represented. As women are clearly the largest group (83%), we would like to
pay particular attention to their needs and living conditions. How do women organize their
lives? What do they do in Germany? What do they expect? What are they interested in? What
problems characterize their lives in Germany? What are the most important meeting places,
how is time and space organized for them? What are they looking for and how do they
perceive German reality? What are the most important changes, challenges, but also
opportunities and chances?
Examining the paths and the "map of life" that the women use in their everyday lives would show how the offers
could be designed to suit their lives. Finally, the question of how they see their future
prospects would also be an important part of the discussion. The special features of Konstanz
and the surrounding area as a (southern) German and European region would also enrich the
discussion.
disasters, has the power to challenge family and family roles in a far-reaching and stressful,
sometimes upsetting way. The main components are intensified, the responsibilities,
connections, relationships are emphasized in their functioning and non-functioning aspects,
and new problems are created.
In our paper, we would like to explore these questions based on our data collected with
qualitative and quantitative methods (with help of narrative interviews and a web survey). The
focus is on refugees from Ukraine who have found a new home at Lake Konstanz.
Families of varying composition have arrived in Konstanz and the surrounding area: single
mothers, young women with parents and grandparents; siblings with families; women who
left their husbands in Ukraine, women who were single parents (separated or divorced)
already before the war began, women who took their unresolved family situations with them
to Germany. Different generations are represented. Migrants from different cities and regions
of Ukraine are represented. As women are clearly the largest group (83%), we would like to
pay particular attention to their needs and living conditions. How do women organize their
lives? What do they do in Germany? What do they expect? What are they interested in? What
problems characterize their lives in Germany? What are the most important meeting places,
how is time and space organized for them? What are they looking for and how do they
perceive German reality? What are the most important changes, challenges, but also
opportunities and chances?
Examining the paths and the "map of life" that the women use in their everyday lives would show how the offers
could be designed to suit their lives. Finally, the question of how they see their future
prospects would also be an important part of the discussion. The special features of Konstanz
and the surrounding area as a (southern) German and European region would also enrich the
discussion.