Indian Women Between Tradition and Western Modernity. The Impact of Multi- and Transnational Corporations in India on the Life, Social Role and Self-Perception of Their Indian Female Employees in the Early 2000s

Exploitation or empowerment? Arguing from the interface of Cultural Studies and Political Science, the following thesis investigates a specific effect of globalisation in India: the impact of Indian women’s employment in multi- and transnational companies (MNCs) on their life, social role and self-perception. On the basis of twelve case studies with MNCs, comprising comprehensive questionnaires and interviews with employees and experts, the study aims to assess possible socio-economic and cultural transformations by examining in detail the women’s work satisfaction, their responses to the influences of a foreign culture, the impact of their employment on their private lives as well as – in reverse – on the corporate culture of the company