corpus alienum (latin) > foreign body (english)
Borrowing the termcorpus alienum from medicine, we noticed that it belongs to the branch of traumatology and develops as a phenomenon with the invasion of a foreign body inside another body. Either the foreign bodies enter and exit immediately or a part of them remains inside the tissues. So the resemblance of this phenomenon with the phenomenon of immigration comes under examination. Specifically, we look into the extent to which the admission of immigrants is acceptable by the Greek community. The definition given to the foreign body is determined by its differences from the one that carries Greek characteristics and it is placed opposite the latter as something unfamiliar, as a foreign body. This position works as a stepping-stone in forming our theoretical frame.
The present research paper tends to deal with the social and territorial intents of immigration under the prism of a gendered approach. It tries to investigate the ways in which narratives, the relocation and the working conditions related to the immigration and gender, generate limits and spaces in the context of national context. It also aims to examine the way in which gender, social class and national identity affect the immigrant women's role not only during mobility, but also in the entire process of shaping the subjects' existence. The necessity of personal contact and conversation with immigrant women was an important contribution to the project. Our aim was to meet in their residences in order to look into their lives. This process gave us the chance to compile and bring their narratives to light. This was achieved in two ways, by recording their stories and by taking photos of all the elements that would constitute the progress of their lives in a personal and social context.
