Spaces of the Migration Society (RäuMig)
DeZIM Research Community
Project team:
Principal Investigators: PD Dr. Anna-Lisa Müller (IKG), Prof. Dr. Andreas Zick (IKG), Prof. Dr. Andreas Pott (IMIS), Prof. Dr. Gökçe Yurdakul (BIM) in cooperation with Dr. Daniel Kubiak (BIM)
Project staff: Emma Luna Brahm (IKG), Kübra Gencal (IKG), Dr. Daniel Kubiak (BIM), Dr. Mert Pekşen (IMIS)
Student project staff: Judith Bergkemper (IMIS), Johanna Ferstl (IMIS), Carolin Rosenberg (IKG), Sarah Stanisławska (BIM)
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Project description:
The main focus "Spaces of the Migration Society" is supported by modular networked projects. It addresses spatial aspects of integration and inclusion as well as the separation, marginalisation or exclusion of migrant groups. The special contribution lies in the consideration of objective and subjective spatial conditions and negotiation processes of conflicts between groups that share and shape spaces together. The aim of the focus is to make the interdisciplinary perspective of a spatially sensitive and socio-psychologically informed social research fruitful for the investigation of the connection between migration, integration and the negotiation of social conflict and consensus. The central question of all research in this project is: How do spaces change through migration and how do migration and integration processes change through spaces? This question suggests a relational approach, which understands spatial migration processes as acculturative localisation processes of different groups that develop relationships in spaces.
The project focuses beyond the nation-state or transnational level on the analysis of local spaces and their moderating and mediating effects on migration processes. The central assumption is that municipalities, cities, neighbourhoods and other empirically observable spaces such as public squares play an essential role in the organisation and negotiation of migration and integration processes. These socially produced spaces enable intercultural or migration-related proximity and distance and influence social integration as well as forms of emotional and socio-spatial anchoring in the migration society. In this way, these spaces can promote inclusion. However, they can also promote exclusion or marginalisation, as spatial structures, interpretations and forms of use contribute to the exclusion of certain groups or prevent access to institutions. The planned research project consists of three modules, which are supported by empirical sub-projects: (A) Spatial Racism on the Ground, (B) Spatial Biographies, (C) Spaces of Resilience: Dialogue and Transfer. Currently, Module A is conducting empirical research in the cities of Rostock and Solingen and taking stock of cartographic representations and documentation of racist crimes and attacks.
Module A involved empirical research in the first year 2022 in the cities of Rostock and Solingen and an inventory of cartographic representations and documentation of racist crimes and attacks. 2023 started the second year of the project, which continues selected topics from Module A. In addition, Module B, Spatial Biographies, will include additional case cities in the research, particularly to examine the subjective experiences and meanings of racism in urban spaces. This will involve looking at cities that have experienced a recent racially motivated attack as well as cities that have been affected by racism in more latent ways. Finally, in Module C, Spaces of Resilience, in the third year (2024) of the project, the results of the research will be prepared for the local level in a practical way in scenario and storytelling workshops.
Participating partners: Institute for Interdisciplinary Research on Conflict and Violence (IKG), Institute for Migration Research and Intercultural Studies (IMIS), Berlin Institute for Empirical Integration and Migration Research (BIM)
Funding: Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (Third-party funding)