Triple Selves at Work

Abstract

Data presented in this chapter are part of a larger qualitative study that explored identity and career experiences of Muslim immigrant women in American context. This chapter focuses on one of the domains that emerged from this larger study. Specifically, this chapter reports on data in the career and education experience domain, which explores career and work-related experiences of first-generation immigrant Muslim women in the United States. Informed by relational approaches to career development and a social identity perspective, this investigation was grounded in social constructivist paradigm, and utilized consensual qualitative research (CQR) methods to analyze the data collected through semi-structured interviews with fifteen women from diverse backgrounds. Results suggest that immigrant Muslim women dynamically craft their selves in contexts defined by instability, pressure, and tension. Despite numerous difficulties encountered upon relocation, their narratives speak to the women's agency and competency to craft their lives and careers effectively.