“I am the ultimate caregiver”: Examining the Unique Challenges Experienced by Immigrant Mothers living in Vienna, Austria and the Services of a Community-Based Organization Designed to Empower Them
Faculty Mentor
Natasha Gordon-Chipembere
Major/Area of Research
Global Studies, Gender Studies, Immigration
Description
Many women, at some point in their lives, will encounter social, career, and emotional disadvantages due to dual expectations to perform childcare tasks as well as participate in formal labor. In Vienna, Austria, a city where 45.9% of the population comes from a migrant background, challenges such as language barriers and legal complexities impede the accessibility of employment and social benefits. The Vienna Family Network (VFN) is a Vienna-based organization that provides support services specifically tailored to immigrant mothers. This qualitative case study explores the ways in which immigrant mothers living in Vienna, Austria experience motherhood uniquely, as well as the ways in which the VFN works to mitigate the effects of the distinctive challenges they face. Research was conducted in Vienna through postcolonial, CRT, and intersectional feminist lenses, utilizing a series of semi-structured interviews as well as a survey to members and leaders of the VFN. The study demonstrates that immigrant mothers living in Vienna, Austria use the VFN because it helps them overcome challenges within their social, work, and family lives by serving as a community builder and information hub, concluding that the VFN emerges as a significant contributor to enhancing the overall well being of immigrant mothers. The study also situated ‘Expat’ immigrant mothers within European postcolonial immigration regimes and hierarchies. This research sheds light on the unique challenges faced by immigrant mothers and highlights the role of community-based organizations in providing them with social and informational support, the role of their spouses in providing them with instrumental support, and some of the unique advantages faced by certain immigrant populations in the context of mother- hood, contributing valuable insight for the development of supportive family and immigration policies and practices.
“I am the ultimate caregiver”: Examining the Unique Challenges Experienced by Immigrant Mothers living in Vienna, Austria and the Services of a Community-Based Organization Designed to Empower Them
Many women, at some point in their lives, will encounter social, career, and emotional disadvantages due to dual expectations to perform childcare tasks as well as participate in formal labor. In Vienna, Austria, a city where 45.9% of the population comes from a migrant background, challenges such as language barriers and legal complexities impede the accessibility of employment and social benefits. The Vienna Family Network (VFN) is a Vienna-based organization that provides support services specifically tailored to immigrant mothers. This qualitative case study explores the ways in which immigrant mothers living in Vienna, Austria experience motherhood uniquely, as well as the ways in which the VFN works to mitigate the effects of the distinctive challenges they face. Research was conducted in Vienna through postcolonial, CRT, and intersectional feminist lenses, utilizing a series of semi-structured interviews as well as a survey to members and leaders of the VFN. The study demonstrates that immigrant mothers living in Vienna, Austria use the VFN because it helps them overcome challenges within their social, work, and family lives by serving as a community builder and information hub, concluding that the VFN emerges as a significant contributor to enhancing the overall well being of immigrant mothers. The study also situated ‘Expat’ immigrant mothers within European postcolonial immigration regimes and hierarchies. This research sheds light on the unique challenges faced by immigrant mothers and highlights the role of community-based organizations in providing them with social and informational support, the role of their spouses in providing them with instrumental support, and some of the unique advantages faced by certain immigrant populations in the context of mother- hood, contributing valuable insight for the development of supportive family and immigration policies and practices.