Author: Costanza Curro (School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London)
Gender and nation are two deeply intertwined features in shaping collective and individual identities. Within the hegemonic national community, women are supposed to adapt their own lives and self-perceptions to roles ascribed to them by what is seen as national tradition. However, transnational migrations have been challenging the overwhelming role of the nation-state in shaping people’s identities and loyalties. The physical and psychological displacement that migration entails can be used by migrants to liberate themselves from the overarching pressure of the nation-state. Using data from interviews conducted amongst Georgian women living in London, this article investigates the role of gender and nation in a transnational context. Georgian women’s narratives highlight whether Georgian national gender norms are challenged or reinforced by these women’s distance from their homeland. This analysis leads to some considerations about the present-day role of nationalism and the nation-state in a transnational world.
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How to Cite: Curro, C. (2012) “National Gender Norms and Transnational Identities: Migration Experiences of Georgian Women in London”, Slovo. 24(2).