We occasionally share master's and bachelor's theses written by students in relation to the PolMig project.
Identity, Agency, and Self-Stigmatization: Narratives of Women Migrants in Freiburg (2026) Su Gökyokuş
This master thesis examines how migrant women experience and negotiate stigma and agency in everyday life. Migrants often anticipate judgement shaped by negative narratives on migration and internalize these perceptions, leading to self-stigmatization. The study argues that self-stigmatization and agency are not separate processes but are experienced as intertwined in participants’ narratives. Rather than indicating a loss of agency, self-stigmatization can become part of a strategic adaptation. In this sense, agency and stigma are in continuous dialogue.
Su Gökyokuş submitted and defended this thesis in summer 2026 as part of her degree at the Global Studies Programme.
The master thesis was supervised by Dr Franzisca Zanker and was written in discussion with the PolMig project and team.