Gülten Gizem Fesli

Gülten Gizem Fesli (she/her) is a PhD candidate in Sociology at Bayreuth University, Germany, with a focus on Intersectionality Studies. Her dissertation titled “Labor Union Organizing Strategies of Transnational Care Workers in Germany and the USA” is the first comparative study of contemporary labor union organizing of transnational care workers in both welfare states.

She studied at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) and San Diego State University (SDSU). She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Teaching (English, Political Science, Pedagogy), and a Master’s degree in Sociology from FAU.
Advised by Prof. Dr. Ingrid Artus and Prof. Dr. Annette Henninger in her current PhD project, she takes a migrant-centered approach to examine strategies employed by trade unions in organizing transnational domestic care workers in Germany and the USA, spanning from the late 20th century to the present.

Utilizing expert and narrative interviews with trade unionists, transnational domestic care workers, and civil society actors, Gizem examines strategies through an intersectional lense, considering the intersectionality of race, class, and gender as a conceptual framework. The objective is to compare the unionization of transnational care workers in both welfare states through case studies, drawing conclusions from successful American and German labor union organizing strategies for an intersectional approach to organizing migrant care workers in Germany.
She was awarded an Exposé stipend for academic excellence by the Hans-Böckler-Foundation, that is currently fully funding the research project.

English: Strategies for Trade Union Organizing of Transnational Care Workers in Germany and the U.S.A.
German (original title): Strategien der Organisierung transnationaler Care-Arbeiter*innen in Deutschland und den USA

My dissertation, Strategies for Trade Union Organizing of Transnational Care Workers in Germany and the U.S.A., takes a migrant-centered approach to examine strategies employed by trade unions in organizing transnational domestic care workers in Germany and the U.S.A., spanning from the late 20th century to the present. Through expert and narrative interviews with organizers and transnational domestic care workers, I pay specific attention to intersectional dimensions such as race, class, and gender. The objective is to explore the unionization of transnational care workers in Germany, and to draw lessons from successful organizing strategies implemented in the U.S.A.