Immigrant Women’s Organizations in Athens: gender, participation, social capital
This research focuses on the organizations of immigrant women in Athens. Through in-depth interviews with the members of an organization of women from Bulgaria and a six-month participant observation to its activities, we attempt to investigate the effect of participation on the members’ identities, the types of social networks created within the organization and the resources to which the members have access. The research results showed that members’ identities are interrelated. The participation in the organization seems to affect more the national and religious identity of women and is a varying phenomenon. The theory of social capital by Bourdieu and Coleman, taking into consideration the criticism of feminist theorists, is used in order to answer the questions related to social networks and resources. The participation in the organization offers each member an opportunity to create and participate in social networks with the other members. The resources of these networks are used in case of a health problem, an economic difficulty or when a woman is looking for a job.