Discrimination In Germany Research Articles

Under the Radar: A Survey of Students’ Experiences of Discrimination in the German University Context

Universities are commonly imagined as “enlightened institutions” that leave no room for discrimination. While studies from other countries and some studies from German universities cast doubt on this notion, the extent and characteristics of university students’ experiences of discrimination in Germany are not yet sufficiently researched. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess university students’ experiences of discrimination in a cross-sectional online survey. A total of 890 students completed the questionnaire. Of these, 45% reported that they had witnessed discrimination in the university, while 28% reported first-hand experiences. For those who had experienced discrimination themselves, it occurred repeatedly (68%) or regularly (15.5%). The most common grounds for discrimination were sex or gender (33% of all reported grounds for discrimination), non-German origin (12.5%) and having a chronic illness (7%). University lecturers were mentioned most often (by 80% of those who reported discrimination) as the perpetrators of discrimination. Taking these findings into consideration, universities should revisit their policies and structures that protect students against discrimination and support them in the case of harassment. This could entail obligatory training for university employees but should also consider that the university’s hierarchical structure facilitates abuses of power and can therefore be considered a variable in its own right.

“Thank You, Your Putin Has Already Congratulated Us”

Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Russophobic war--related crimes took place in Germany. The incidents were aimed at Russians or people perceived as such. At that time, the Russian-German late resettlers Spätaussiedler also experienced discrimination, being stereotypically perceived as pro-Putin immigrants from post-Soviet countries. The article analyzes the escalation of anti-Russian prejudices and discrimination in Germany in 2022, also directed at Russian-German late resettlers, in the context of their migration history and sense of social integration.

LGBTIQ in the Workplace: Injustice and Discrimination in Germany : Legal Analysis

LGBTIQ in the Workplace: Injustice and Discrimination in Germany : Legal Analysis

Perceived post-migration discrimination: the perspective of adolescents with migration background

Discrimination has a negative impact on mental health and wellbeing of persons affected. The aim of the present study was to investigate perceived discrimination of migrant adolescents. Focus groups with migrant adolescents were conducted, audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The transcripts were analyzed using the manifest qualitative content analysis by Mayring. The foci of interest (persons discriminated against and by whom, where and how the discrimination took place, which behavioral and emotional reactions the affected persons showed to the experiences and which reasons they assumed for the discrimination) were determined based on the pre-defined guideline, and inductive subcategories were extracted from the transcripts and grouped into main categories. Five focus groups with students with migration background (n = 35, 13 females, mean age: 18.78, SD = 2.26, range 16–24) were conducted. The adolescents in our focus groups and their acquaintances (families and friends) experienced discrimination in Germany in several forms (verbal and non-verbal), places and on an individual as well as institutional level, with an impact on their emotional well-being. To combat discrimination, culturally sensitive information must be provided on the part of those affected as well as their perpetrators.

Foreign Accents in the Early Hiring Process: A Field Experiment on Accent-Related Ethnic Discrimination in Germany

Based on a field experiment conducted in Germany between October 2014 and October 2015, this article focuses on the disadvantages associated with the presence of a foreign accent in the early hiring process, when applicants call in response to a job advertisement to ask whether the position is still available. We examine whether a foreign accent influences employers’ behaviors via productivity considerations and/or whether foreign-accented speech is related to statistical discrimination or tastes among employers or customers that translate into differential treatment. To address these processes, we supplement our field-experimental data with information on job and firm characteristics from the texts of vacancy announcements and advertising companies’ homepages, on labor supply from the Federal Employment Agency, and on anti-immigrant attitudes from the German General Social Survey. Results suggest that while calling with a Turkish name did not result in a lower rate of positive replies, this rate was reduced for candidates who called with a Turkish accent. Turkish-accented applicants were told more often than the advertised position was already filled. Our findings suggest that the difference in response rates was not due to productivity considerations related to how well individuals understood foreign-accented speakers. Instead, results support the notion that the observed disadvantages were linked to discrimination based on employers’ ethnic tastes. While we found no indications pointing to the relevance of customer tastes or statistical discrimination, we cannot rule out these processes altogether. Our findings demonstrate that language cues can be more relevant than applicants’ names in shaping employers’ initial responses. They, thereby, highlight the need to consider multiple ethnic cues and different stages of the hiring process.

COVID-19–associated discrimination in Germany

This study examines whether ethnic minorities in general and Asian minorities in particular have perceived an increase in discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic, a phenomenon known as COVID-19–associated discrimination (CAD). Drawing on the CILS4COVID data, which were collected among 3,517 individuals in the initial phase of the pandemic (mainly between April and June 2020), we demonstrate that especially Asian minorities (n = 80) report instances of CAD. Furthermore, CAD is reported more by Asian respondents residing in administrative districts that have been particularly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, i.e., that had high seven-day COVID-19 incidence rates. Higher levels of perceived CAD are also reported by respondents originating from the Americas (n = 61) and the former Soviet Union (n = 197), but only in administrative districts with high incidence rates. We conclude that CAD reported by these groups is likely due to these groups being perceived to pose a higher threat of infection transmission. CAD reported by Asian-origin respondents is not entirely due to the actual threat posed by COVID-19, but rather to a mix of perceived threat, overt discrimination and the attribution of various negative experiences suffered since the outbreak of the pandemic to CAD.

Language discrimination in Germany

Language attitudes matter; they influence people’s behaviour and decisions. Therefore, it is crucial to learn more about patterns in the way that languages are valued. One means of doing so is using a quantitative approach with data representative of a whole population, so that results mirror dispositions at a societal level. This kind of approach is adopted here, with a focus on the situation in Germany. The article consists of two parts. First, I will present some results of a new representative survey on language attitudes in Germany (the Germany Survey 2017). Second, I will show how language attitudes penetrate even seemingly objective data collection processes by examining the German Microcensus. In 2017, for the first time in eighty years, the German Microcensus included a question on language use ‘at home’. Unfortunately, however, the question was clearly tainted by language attitudes instead of being objective. As a result, the Microcensus significantly misrepresents the linguistic reality of different migrant languages spoken in Germany.

Taste or statistics? A correspondence study of ethnic, racial and religious labour market discrimination in Germany

ABSTRACTIn this study we compare rates of discrimination across German-born applicants from thirty-five ethnic groups in which various racial and religious treatment groups are embedded, this study allows us to better distinguish taste and statistical sources of discrimination, and to assess the relative importance of ethnicity, phenotype and religious affiliation as signals triggering discrimination. The study is based on applications to almost 6,000 job vacancies with male and female applicants in eight occupations across Germany. We test taste discrimination based on cultural value distance between groups against statistical discrimination based on average education levels and find that discrimination is mostly driven by the former. Based on this pattern, ethnic, racial and religious groups whose average values are relatively distant from the German average face the strongest discrimination. By contrast, employers do not treat minority groups with value patterns closer to Germany’s different from ethnic German applicants without a migration background.

The paradox of integration: why do higher educated new immigrants perceive more discrimination in Germany?

ABSTRACTThis article analyses the relation between immigrants’ educational attainment and their perceived discrimination. Previous studies in the Netherlands have found that ethnic discrimination is a particularly salient concern among higher educated immigrants, also referred to as the paradox of integration. By using data from the SCIP-project (‘Causes and Consequences of Early Socio-Cultural Integration Processes among New Immigrants in Europe’), I empirically examine, firstly, whether this counterintuitive finding applies to the group of recently arrived Polish and Turkish immigrants in Germany. Secondly, based on three theoretical perspectives, and taking the opportunity structure, immigrants’ awareness, and their relative deprivation into account, I am concerned with the explanation of the integration paradox. Bivariate results confirm the existence of the integration paradox for recent immigrants in Germany. The findings of mediation analysis and effect decomposition indicate that all three theoretical approaches contribute to the explanation; however, the positive relation between educational attainment and perceived discrimination requires slightly different explanations for Poles and Turks. The results further illustrate that it would be misleading to conclude that higher educated immigrants are automatically protected against discriminatory acts.

Genes, symptoms, and the “asymptomatic ill”: toward a broader understanding of genetic discrimination

Since the early 1990s, the term “genetic discrimination” has been used to designate adverse treatment on the grounds of genetic makeup. However, the full spectrum of possible disadvantage associated with genetic information has not been addressed by either the international scientific debate or statutory arrangements on genetic discrimination. Informed by legal contexts, they almost all focus on one specific group: the “asymptomatic ill.” On the basis of the sociological study, “Genetic Discrimination in Germany,” this article proposes to revise the terms of the debate and discusses some limitations of the concept. Drawing on the experiences reported by affected individuals, it advocates a more expansive social understanding which does not require that a person has to be healthy to be at risk of genetic discrimination.

The Effects of Multiple Stigmas on Discrimination in the German Housing Market

Abstract. In two online field-experiments (N1 = 336, N2 = 456) we investigated the effects of belonging to an ethnic minority, a sexual minority, or to both minority groups simultaneously on rental discrimination in Germany. We predicted that a Turkish heterosexual couple and a German gay male couple would receive fewer replies to their inquiries about a rental offering and fewer invitations for viewings than a German heterosexual couple. We also predicted that the intersection of two stigmatized identities would have beneficial effects and thus result in less discrimination of the Turkish gay male couple compared to the Turkish heterosexual couple. Chi-square tests revealed evidence of rental discrimination based on ethnicity, but not for discrimination based on sexual orientation; no evidence for beneficial effects of the intersection of two stigmatized identities was found. Implications for future research on discrimination of ethnic and sexual minorities are discussed.

Regulating and Transgressing the Borders of the Berlin Republic in Doris Dörrie's <em>The Hairdresser</em>

This article considers how, in The Hairdresser ( Die Friseuse , 2010), Doris Dorrie exposes the normalizing biopolitics of the Berlin Republic by offering an intersectional approach to thinking about discrimination in Germany and by establishing similarities between her white female protagonist and ethnic minorities. I examine how Dorrie employs ethnic minorities for her narrative by comparing The Hairdresser with Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s Ali: Fear Eats the Soul ( Angst essen Seele auf , 1974), another film with an intersectional approach to depicting discrimination in Germany and one that is implicitly referenced by Dorrie’s cinematography. I argue that although Dorrie’s film could be viewed as advancing the discussion on discrimination in Germany by considering the intersection of additional categories such as disability and citizenship, her film is inhibited by neoliberal tendencies, its comedic genre conventions, Dorrie’s wish to establish an easy solidarity between Germans and ethnic Others, and her attempts to forge audience identification with the protagonist.

Intergroup apologies: Does it matter what they say? Experimental analyses.

Intergroup apologies are common in public life, yet their experimental analysis has remained sparse. In 2 online vignette studies we analyzed which content of public intergroup apologies (PIAs) increases the acceptance of the apology by the victimized group and their intergroup forgiveness. Concerning that question we predicted that a PIA including more relevant components of apology is more effective than PIAs including fewer of these components (first hypothesis). We also purported that this particularly applies after more severe transgressions (second hypothesis). For Study 1 (N 289) the chosen intergroup setting was gender discrimination in Germany and in Study 2 (N 110) the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992–1995). We varied the severity of transgression in 2 steps in Study 1 and number of components in the PIA in 5 steps in both studies. The first hypothesis was supported by both studies. However, the data also showed that the components that had to be included in the PIA to increase the effectiveness of the apology varied across Study 1 and 2. In addition, the relevant effects applied to the acceptance of the apology but not to intergroup forgiveness. The second hypothesis was not supported. Implications for conflict transformation and further research are discussed.

Decomposing wage discrimination in Germany and Austria with counterfactual densities

Using income and other individual data from EU-SILC for Germany and Austria, we analyze wage discrimination for three break-ups: gender, sector of employment, and country of origin. Using the method of Machado and Mata [2005] the discrimination over the whole range of the wage distribution is estimated. Significance of results is checked via confidence interval estimates along the lines of Melly [2006]. To narrow down the extent of discrimination both basic decomposition possibilities are compared. The economies of Germany and Austria appear structurally very similar. Especially the institutional setting of the labor markets seem to be closely comparable. One would, therefore, expect to find similar levels and structures of wage discrimination. Our findings deviate from this conjecture significantly.

Educated in Germany, Working in Turkey: The Emigration Motivations of Persons of Turkish Origin

Concerns over a possible brain drain and a failed integration policy have been raised by the emigration of qualified persons of Turkish origin. However, there is little reliable data available regarding the profile and the motivations for this in the Germany-trained workforce. In order to explore the relative importance of different migration motivations, an online survey (n = 128) and interviews with selected respondents were conducted. The main finding is that family-related reasons are the most important factor in emigration to Turkey. In contrast, a negative career outlook and/or experience of discrimination in Germany, highlighted in public discourse, played only a secondary or even tertiary role. Instead, motivations for emigration of persons with and without a migration background are often similar, reflecting the increased mobility in a globalised world – a factor confirmed by the fact that a significant number of respondents expressed an intention to return to Germany.

Disclosure behaviour and experienced reactions in patients with HIV versus chronic viral hepatitis or diabetes mellitus in Germany

Disclosure is a prerequisite to receive disease-specific social support. However, in the case of a stigmatised disease, it can also lead to discrimination. We aimed to assess disclosure rates of HIV patients and the reactions they encountered in comparison to patients with chronic viral hepatitis or diabetes mellitus and patients' general perception of disease-specific discrimination. We constructed a self-report questionnaire, anonymously assessing the size of the social environment, the persons who had been informed, and the experienced reactions as perceived by the disclosing patients, to be rated on 1–4 point Likert scales. In addition, patients were asked whether they perceive general discrimination in Germany. One hundred and seventy-one patients were asked to participate. Five rejected, thus questionnaires from 83 patients with HIV, 42 patients with chronic viral hepatitis B (n=9) or C (n=33), and 41 patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (type I n=14, type II n=27) were analysed. Whereas the size of the social environment did not differ, HIV-infected patients were least likely to disclose their disease (60.7%, SD±31.9) to their social environment as compared to patients with chronic viral hepatitis (84.2±23.3%, p<0.0001), or diabetes mellitus (94.4 ±10.3%, p<0.0001), respectively. Within the HIV patient group, the mean disclosure rate was highest to partners (90.9%), followed by the public environment (65.2%), friends (59.4%) and family members (43.8%). HIV patients experienced supportive reactions after 79.3±26.4% of disclosures, which was the case in 91.4±19.6% and 75.7±36.1% of patients with hepatitis or diabetes mellitus, respectively. 69.5% of HIV patients stated to perceive general discrimination in Germany. We conclude that HIV patients had experienced supportive reactions after the majority of disclosures, but the low rate points out that their information strategy had been very selective. Societal discrimination of HIV patients is still an issue and needs to be further addressed.

Ethnic Discrimination in Germany’s Labour Market: A Field Experiment

Abstract This paper studies ethnic discrimination in Germany’s labour market with a correspondence test. We send two similar applications to each of 528 advertisements for student internships, one with a Turkish-sounding and one with a German-sounding name. A German name raises the average probability of a callback by about 14%. Differential treatment is particularly strong and significant in smaller firms at which the applicant with the German name receives 24% more callbacks. Discrimination disappears when we restrict our sample to applications including reference letters which contain favourable information about the candidate’s personality. We interpret this finding as evidence for statistical discrimination.

Confronting Weight Discrimination in Germany—The Foundation of a Fat Acceptance Organization

The author describes the foundation and development of the German Society against Weight Discrimination (Gesellschaft gegen Gewichtsdiskriminierung) from its founding year 2005 to 2011. The cultural and socioeconomic contexts of fatness in Germany are analyzed and some differences between Germany and the United States in confronting fatness are pointed out. One difference is identified in Germany's National Socialist past that influences political jargon in Germany up to the present time in that rhetoric even remotely resembling Nazi rhetoric is inacceptable as official jargon. Open argumentation for the fitness of the masses along the lines of Foucault's governmentality is thus highly critical, and political campaigns implementing governmental strategies remain vague. When arguing against fatness, German official jargon tends to resort to constructing the fat person as a threat to collective resources, be it the health care system, the disability insurance system, or the national economy at large. By way of a comparative analysis of discourses around fatness in Germany and the USA, the author points out the specific challenges a fat acceptance organization in Germany faces and describes how the Gesellschaft gegen Gewichtsdiskriminierung works to confront them.

Ethnic Discrimination in Germany's Labour Market: A Field Experiment

This paper studies ethnic discrimination in Germany's labour market with a correspondence test. To each of 528 advertisements for student internships we send two similar applications, one with a Turkish-sounding and one with a German-sounding name. A German name raises the average probability of a callback by about 14 percent. Differential treatment is particularly strong and significant at smaller firms at which the applicant with the German name receives 24 percent more callbacks. Discrimination disappears when we restrict our sample to applications including reference letters which contain favourable information about the candidateﾒs personality. We interpret this finding as evidence for statistical discrimination.

"A slap in the face". An exploratory study of genetic discrimination in Germany

Over the past 20 years, a series of empirical studies in different countries have shown that the increase in genetic knowledge is leading to new forms of exclusion, disadvantaging and stigmatisation. The term "genetic discrimination" has been coined to refer to a (negative) differential treatment of an individual on the basis of what is known or assumed about his or her genetic makeup. Reported incidents2 include difficulties in finding or retaining employment, problems with insurance policies and difficulties with adoption.So far, no empirical data on genetic discrimination in Germany are available. For this reason it remains unclear how often people in Germany are discriminated against because of their genetic characteristics. Aside from individual cases do forms of systematic genetic discrimination exist? If so, in which institutions and social arenas do they appear? These questions cannot be answered at present even cursorily, since no specialised studies or basic surveys have been carried out. Even the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) accompanying the Human Genome Project3 and financed by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research does not include a single investigation of this.