Helena Schwenken

Helen Schwenken is academic staff member in the field of "Globalization and Politics" in the Department for Social Science at the University of Kassel (Germany). She graduated in Social Sciences at Bochum University (1999). In 2000 she was member of the faculty at the International women's university (ifu) in the Project Area Migration, Hanover. She is member of the PhD programme "Gender Democracy and Organizational Change in a Global Context" of the "Heinrich Böll Foundation" and currently working on her dissertation "The self-organization of migrants in the European Community". Her research interests lie in the area of (international) feminist theory, migration studies and social movements.

Contact: helena.schwenken@uni-kassel.de

In the current research project European integration, gender and migration studies are linked as fundamental changes take place in the context of globalisation. The modes of representation of migrants and refugees as well as the impact pro-migrant-NGOs have on the European migration policy are analysed. The empirical study focuses on the issues of irregular migration and employment (esp. in the domestic service sector) and the contestation of European external borders. Which paths social movements and NGOs take to make these issues negotiable on the European level are in the centre of the project. The study also brings up broader issues of democracy, citizenship and legitimacy of European institutions and policy especially regarding third country nationals.