The DeZIM Research Community

The DeZIM Research Community brings together central actors in migration and integration research in Germany.  Prior to the establishment of the DeZIM, research on integration and migration in Germany was conducted in a decentralized manner, scattered across various institutions without any bundling of these efforts. The research community aims to contribute to a coordinated collaboration among individual institutions, help close research gaps, promote a well-trained academic next generation, and make integration and migration issues more visible.

In short: The collaboration between the DeZIM Institute and the institutions of the DeZIM Research Community strengthens migration research in Germany.

The DeZIM Research Community brings together key players in migration and integration research, fostering networking and enhancing research on these topics in Germany as a whole.
Prof. Dr. Andreas Blätte, Spokesperson of the DeZIM Research Community

News from the DeZIM Research Community

The 6th DeZIM Conference for early-career researchers of the DeZIM Research Community and the DeZIM Institute took place from October 25 to 27, 2023, at the Berlin Social Science Center (WZB).

The conference aimed at facilitating exchange and supporting researchers at the early stages of their careers, including those currently pursuing a PhD, who have recently completed their doctorate, or are about to begin their doctoral studies.

For further information and photos from the conference, please visit the event page.

Research Alliance on Discrimination and Racism (FoDiRa)

The cooperative project FoDiRa systematically examines key areas where everyday racist prejudices can arise, reproduce, or intensify. More than 35 researchers at six locations within the DeZIM Research Community are involved in the 10 projects of the research Alliance.

Learn more

Members of the DeZIM Research Community

Offers from the DeZIM Research Community

The DeZIM Research Community promotes networking, collaboration, and exchange among its researchers in various ways. As a result, the community enhances the scientific profile of researchers, particularly the visibility of their research findings within the academic community and beyond.

  • DeZIM Conference: The central hub for scientific exchange within the DeZIM Research Community is the annual DeZIM Conference, which includes a DeZIM Early Career Researchers Conference. It provides researchers with the opportunity to present and develop their current work together.  For more information: DeZIM Conference 2022 (PDF).
  • FG-Wednesday: A monthly early afternoon online event, the FG-Wednesday, allows researchers from the DeZIM Institute and the DeZIM Research Community to exchange ideas both academically and personally. If you are interested in participating, feel free to contact us at: forschungsgemeinschaft(at)dezim-institut.de
  • Newsletter: Every two months, the DeZIM Research Community newsletter provides updates on the latest news. Subscribe via email at: forschungsgemeinschaft(at)dezim-institut.de.

Research Profile of the DeZIM Research Community

The institutions within the DeZIM Research Community collaborate in their research on integration and migration. Since 2019, the DeZIM Research Community has been coordinating its activities through a coordinated, five-year research program. The research program is divided into three focal areas, corresponding to the themes (or departments) of the DeZIM Institute, thus promoting the overall development of the DeZIM. The first focus area addresses migration dynamics, the second focuses on integration, and the third examines conflicts in migration societies.

Research Focus 1: Dynamics of Migration in Household and Family Context

This focus area investigates the conditions and dynamics of migration movements. In particular, it explores how demographic change, family structures, and gender relations impact the dynamics of global migration movements, and vice versa. The participating researchers not only examine the family relationships of migrants but also those of non-migrants. Within this focus area, the interconnections between (re)migration, social groups, networks, and (re)integration are also analyzed, both in the origin and destination regions of international migration movements.

Research Focus 2: Socio-spatial Conditions, Networks, and Dynamics of Integration

Migration and integration processes occur in various spaces, which can be defined as social, symbolic, institutional, or educational spaces. In addition to the national level, municipalities, cities, and regions play a crucial role in structuring migration and integration processes. This focus area explores how such spaces influence the integration of different groups, from assimilation to residential segregation. It aims to highlight the spatial factors—local, regional, and national—that enable or hinder integration. The research also examines the significance of regions undergoing transformation due to migration.

Research Focus 3: Conflicts in Migration Societies

Migration is accompanied by conflicts which persons, groups and institutions negotiate and settle among themselves. These conflicts can be triggered by differences in resources, identities, or values between groups and institutions, and can both promote and hinder integration. This thematic cluster empirically examines how migration influences societal and social conflict lines and the associated processes: What are the causes and consequences of conflicts related to migration? Under what conditions and how can conflicts be regulated? The research focuses on conflicts that, based on the current state of research, hold particular significance but are not yet sufficiently well understood.

In December 2021, the research community was able to further develop its project portfolio with funds approved for the period until 2024 as part of the Cabinet Committee for the fight against racism and right-wing extremism.

Approved projects include the "Research Alliance on Discrimination and Racism" (FoDiRa) and the cooperative project "Spaces of the Migration Society," which both started their work in 2022.