Women in the Kurdish Family: Expectations, Obligations and Values

This book deals with female-female bonds in the Kurdish family system, in particular in relationships between in-laws, by comparing Kurdish families in Turkey and Germany. It explains the dynamics of in-laws’ relationships, taking into consideration normative gender stereotypes and the features of the rule of patrilineal descent which are characterised by Kurds and increase the possibility of domestic co-existence of Kurdish in-laws. In the context of the social features of the host countries in which Kurds live, this research reveals in what aspects the relationships between immigrant in-laws are different to those whose families are characterised by a bilateral kinship system, as is found in Western societies. It reveals how cultural meanings and values they brought with them from their country of origin affect their expectations and experiences with each other in their daily routines, considering the challenges that may arise from the collision of new and old patterns in cultural, economic, and social domains.