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Theoretical background and objectives

Theoretical background and objectives

Theoretical background and objectives

The increased and sustained presence of Muslim immigrants has led states and governments in Europe and elsewhere to re-negotiate the accommodation of religious minorities. Many of these processes of negotiation of cultural and religious rights have taken place in public institutions but only some of these institutions such as schools have received broad public and political as well as scientific attention. The current research project tries to broaden this perspective by directing attention to the military as a public institution that has not only a special relationship with the state and the nation, but also fulfils a very specific task and constitutes a "total institution" (Goffman 1961).

Dissertation project

This PhD research is part of a European project, called VEIL, in which eight different European countries participate. VEIL focuses on the debates and regulations concerning head- and body covering of Muslim women in the public sphere, particularly in public institutions such as schools, universities and courts. One of the assumptions of VEIL is that in these debates fundamental norms and values of liberal democracies are re-negotiated, and collective identities re-constructed within the European integration process. Moreover, the issue reveals the gendered nature of values and norms that widely prevail in liberal democracies in Europe.

Theoretical background and objectives

Theoretical background and objectives

The First Integration Indicator Report „Integration in Germany“ was prepared in 2009 in cooperation with ISG Köln on behalf of the Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees and Integration, in order to test and improve an existing set of indicators on integration and to get a first overview on the progress of integration in Germany. The level of integration was measured using 100 indicators on 14 areas of life situation (among others, legal status, education, employment, income, social participation). Results revealed substantive progress of integration in several areas, especially among the second generation of migrants. Nevertheless, migrants are still disadvantaged in nearly all areas (except health) when compared to natives.

Theoretical background and objectives

Theoretical background and objectives

After more than half a century of mass immigration to Europe, the consequences of increasing ethnic diversity in Europe are far from clear. More specifically, one of the prominent questions on today’s research agenda is how ethnic diversity affects social cohesion and attitudes towards immigrants. This project aims to contribute to answering this question.