Docile housewives or Empowered Entrepreneurs?: Gender, Fraud and Victimization Risks in the Context of Family-Related Migration in Germany

Abstract

This dissertation explores how transnational marriage migration processes are viewed and interpreted by foreign spouses from economically weak countries who are currently residing in Germany. It identifies and examines possible risks that migration through the family reunification route could pose for women. By adopting an ethnographic approach, the current study extends previous research on “mail-order” brides by integrating and thoroughly analyzing interrelated criminological aspects pertaining to the topic of transnational marriages such as the victimization risks, interpersonal violence, fraudulent techniques in bi-national marriages and state surveillance, victim-offender overlap, and child custody litigations. Theoretically, the current study engages in debates on gender with feminist scholars and argues against the exploitation discourse frequently applied to women from developing countries who marry men from Western highly industrialized democracies. Instead, this study suggests viewing the issue of transnational marriages through the prism of Bourdieusian theory of capitals and empowering “erotic capital”. Methodologically, this dissertation shows how non-profit organizations could be used in research as gatekeepers and as a source of background information. The findings challenge the conventional notion of female marriage migrants as submissive dependents, suggesting a more nuanced approach based on the informants’ diverse backgrounds, qualifications, endeavors, and their manifold desires.