Status and Stigma - Careers of Self-employed of Turkish Origin in Salzburg
Status and Stigma - Careers of Self-employed of Turkish Origin in Salzburg

Author(s): Heiko Berner
Subject(s): Education, Geography, Regional studies, Labor relations, Social differentiation, Migration Studies, Socio-Economic Research
Published by: Transnational Press London
Keywords: migration; Austria; Salzburg; turkish immigrants; status and stigma; self-employment;
Summary/Abstract: The paper focuses on self-employed of Turkish origin in the province of Salzburg/Austria. The research questions concern educational processes on the way to self-employment and changes of living conditions of the self-employed. Educational processes here are understood as transformations of self-relations and of the relationship to the world. They are influenced by turning points or crises in ones live. The results show that the reasons for getting self-employed very often correspond to structural disadvantages of persons of Turkish origin in Salzburg, for example unemployment, economic uncertainty or dequalification. They are accompanied by intrinsic motivation and by support of role models or family. Discrimination as a motif for quitting a former employment is not mentioned very often. But experiences of discrimination in other spheres of live are an important issue. At the same time, new forms of discrimination arise due to self-employment itself. Two kinds of status coexist for the entrepreneurs interviewed here. (1.) Status as increasing prestige. It rises gradually through social upward mobility. (2.) They perceive their membership to a status group of entrepreneurs. Yet, the majority of autochthonous categorically denies them this membership: The self-employed are not recognized as business people of a higher social position. Finally, they therefore develop a higher degree of sensitivity against stigmatization and discrimination.

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