Integration im Spannungsfeld kultureller Differenzen: Islam und Geschlecht in der Marktgemeinde Telfs in Tirol
In: Osterreichische Zeitschrift fur Politikwissenschaft, Heft 4, S. 451-465
The aim of this paper is to show an example of a local integration project in the Tyrolean municipality of Telfs. How does a multicultural discourse contribute to the exclusion of women in the process of negotiating integration? Local municipalities, in trying to find new ways of "living together" liaise with migrant associations in order to get into contact with the local immigrant population. However, both actors often employ an essentialist view of culture that tends to "naturalize" hegemonic constructions of identity & finally leads to the reproduction of asymmetric structures of participation. Thus, integration projects may fail to address basic structural inequalities between social majorities & minorities. The focus of this paper is on women engaged in two Turkish Islamic associations in the Austrian Tyrolean municipality of Telfs. Discussing the example of a locally implemented integration project, it analyses how a multicultural discourse can serve to legitimate asymmetric participation structures within associations, as well as to reproduce them in the cooperation between migrant organizations & local municipalities. Adapted from the source document.