Book Discussion with Steven Vertovec

On 12 October 2024, the National Discrimination and Racism Monitor (NaDiRa) hosted a book discussion with Prof. Dr. Steven Vertovec to discuss the book ‘Superdiversity. Migration and Social Complexity’. In it, Vertovec reflects on his concept of “superdiversity”, developed almost two decades ago, in the light of its previous scientific and political use, and analyses the increasing diversification processes and the highly complex social configuration of our contemporary societies, which are largely shaped by migration.

After an introductory welcome by Dr Noa K. Ha, Managing Director of the German Centre for Integration and Migration Research, and a laudatory speech by Dr Cihan Sinanoğlu, Director of NaDiRa, Prof. Vertovec first presented the concept of superdiversity and the central thesis associated with it, namely that migration is not a new phenomenon, but that it has taken on a new quality since the 21st century. He explained that migrants can no longer be regarded as a homogeneous group, but rather reflect a multitude of individual identities and life plans. In increasingly diversified societies, people no longer define themselves solely in terms of ethnic affiliations, but rather across a wide range of identity categories. This leads to a ‘superdiversity’ in which social identities are multidimensional, hybrid and permeable.

Vertovec argued that an understanding of migration that takes this complexity into account is essential, especially in times when simplified and essentialist explanations are being propagated by right-wing political movements. His theory calls for a re-evaluation of identity and locates superdiversity in the field of tension between the reality of racist structures and political developments in relation to integration and social diversity.

The subsequent discussion, moderated by Prof. Dr. Magdalena Nowicka, head of the Integration Department, highlighted the relevance of Vertovec's concept in the context of current debates in Germany, particularly with regard to ‘capacity limits’ and the understanding of diversification in public administration. The question was raised as to whether and how state institutions are adapting to this new reality and whether they are able to develop a ‘complexity thinking’. Another important point of discussion was the role of the state in the ‘production’ of diversity, for example by creating legal categories for migrants. The conversation also looked at the potential risks of individualising claims-making. Using the example of his advisory work for the city of Frankfurt am Main, Vertovec provided insights into the resistance in some political circles to taking into account the diversity and multiple affiliations of the population in political measures and to promoting social exchange.

A central topic was the question of the extent to which ‘complexity thinking’ could contribute to the fight against racism. Prof. Vertovec argued that understanding social complexity was an important key to combating racism, as it breaks through simplistic categorisations that support racist structures. A pointed question that arose during the discussion was whether it was necessary to ‘overlook’ diversity in order to overcome racism. Prof. Vertovec emphasised that this is a dangerous oversimplification and that the right approach is to understand and acknowledge the diversity and complexity of society instead of ignoring it.

The event ended with a lively discussion among the participants, in which various perspectives and questions of the transferability of Vertovec's concepts to non-Western contexts such as Japan and the Philippines, as well as to different fields of action such as the education system, were addressed. 

Prof. Dr. Steven Vertovec is an American social scientist, ethnologist and religious scholar. He is the founding director of the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity. He was previously Professor of Transnational Anthropology at the University of Oxford and Director of the British Economic and Social Research Council's Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS). He gained international recognition through his coining of the social science term "superdiversity" and his research based on it. From 2008 to 2011, he was a member of the Expert Council of German Foundations on Integration and Migration, and his expertise has also been called upon by the European Commission, the G8, the World Bank and UNESCO.