Cynthia Trilliani, doctoral student at the School of Education
“In my study I focus on how mothers, who are immigrants in Iceland, experience university education here. Many studies show the various challenges faced by mothers in private life and studies, however, the group that I refer to as immigrant mothers in universities is invisible and has not been studied. These women probably meet various challenges due to their immigrant status,” says Cynthia Triilani, who is a doctoral student of education.
Cynthia points out that to get an overview of the diversity of the mothers’ identities and explore their experience in their studies it is not sufficient to look at one aspect, for example their gender. Their social status and experience is also determined by ethnicity, language, and economic status. The intersectionality of all the variables must be addressed.
Cynthia Trilliani
“Hopefully this study can also influence the discussion on how academic study can be made accessible to immigrant mothers. The study might also help in developing guidelines in the development of study programmes in higher education, and when policy is set concerning foreign students.”
Cynthia hopes that in her study intersectionality will be developed as an academic perspective and research method. “The study is also an important contribution to the discourse on the status of foreigners within Icelandic universities and a contribution to research on invisible minorities in universities here,” says Cynthia.
“Hopefully this study can also influence the discussion on how academic study can be made accessible to immigrant mothers. The study might also help in developing guidelines in the development of study programmes in higher education, and when policy is set concerning foreign students.”
Supervisor: Annadís Gréta Rudolfsdóttir, Associate Professor at the School of Education.