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 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.