Cities and Cultural Diversity: Facts – Positions – Strategies. BertelsmannStiftung Studies

This study presents the current state of research and debates on migration-driven diversity and how it is addressed in German cities. It also articulates the various positions taken in these approaches. The analysis is supplemented with an overview of municipal strategies for managing migration-driven diversity. Selected practical approaches are presented to supplement the addressed topic areas. The study focuses on the various dimensions involved with addressing migration-driven diversity in cities through the following four topic areas: • Segregation and integration: the concentration of different national, ethnic and cultural groups in cities and what this means for integration into urban society • Participation and inclusion: forms of participation in cities, the challenges and opportunities associated with strengthening inclusion for everyone • Identity and religious diversity: conflicts between different cultural and religious identities or ways of life and the problems associated with these conflicts in cities • Diversity-facilitative locations: places or facilities within a city in which new approaches to migration-driven cultural diversity can flourish Germany features a broad range of city types – from large cities with long-term experience in navigating migration-driven diversity to those cities with limited experience in this regard. Among migrants who have settled in Germany, we observe a broad range of mobility patterns among those who have moved to cities. This ranges from the voluntary migration of primarily highly skilled and educated people to the temporary stays among tourists and conference attendees to refugee migration, that is, people who have been forced to leave their country of origin due to war and persecution. Labor migrants represent a category somewhere in between. This mixture of a city’s stock population with or without a migration background and its incoming flow population in specific social and economic contexts determines the composition of diversity in a city. In Germany, we see different types in the west and the east. The study highlights six city types: Magnete (economically dynamic cities known for their highly diverse populations), Solide (cities featuring “guest worker” populations and a stable economy), Ambivalente (traditionally industrial cities transitioning to service industry that feature “guest worker” populations), Nachholer (cities with a relatively small immigrant population that is growing in an increasingly service-based economy), Gestalter (smaller cities featuring culturally diverse population and specialized economic sectors) and Unerfahrene (smaller, economically weak cities that have little experience with diverse populations and high unemployment). To date, many cities in Germany have found it difficult to pursue policies and measures designed to address the challenges associated with migration-driven cultural diversity. Current trends toward socio-spatial polarization in cities pose a challenge to social cohesion. Social segregation is more prevalent than ethnic segregation, though we frequently find that they overlap in certain urban districts. The question of an ideal social mix therefore remains important, as a systematic collation of research findings shows. In many cases, there is simply not enough processing and analysis of the available data on marginalization (i.e., indicators on unemployment and transfer benefits) by country of origin at the municipal level. If we look at the extent to which migrant participation and migration-driven diversity is embedded in city development planning, we see a persistent under-representation of people with an immigrant background in the administrative institutions of German cities. At the same time, efforts addressing this issue are on the rise in local contexts. Migrant efforts to self-organize and neighborhood-based formats are undergoing a renaissance and attracting more and more attention. In some cases, tasks traditionally slated as the responsibility of the welfare state are being transferred to voluntary activity and associations. This is viewed with criticism when municipalities use these mechanisms to shift responsibility for such tasks to the shoulders of civil society in order to resolve their budgetary constraints. However, this trend also involves empowering groups that have otherwise been marginalized. As an aspect of cultural diversity, visible religious diversity is becoming increasingly relevant in cities. Places of worship have made this development particularly noticeable in cityscapes. Because migration-related questions of religion are subjects of vehement and to some extent culturalized debate within (urban) society, cities are faced with divisive conflicts. Measures applied in interfaith dialogue efforts offer good examples of how to resolve these tensions. These approaches are increasingly implemented as part of municipal mediation strategies. Each German city examined features locations that stand out for their unique approach to diversity: These locations are characterized as diversity-facilitative locations in navigating migration-driven cultural diversity. They can refer to libraries, museums, specific neighborhoods or festive events. They are locations where new approaches to and forms of inclusion as well as participation are developed. And they serve as appealing venues which can, in the long term, contribute to a city’s revitalization. In the different cities examined, we see a variety of approaches to migration-driven cultural diversity. Large cities such as Frankfurt am Main and Stuttgart that were quick to implement pro-active policies and have successfully navigated the transition to a service- based economy, are now beginning to reap the benefits of their diverse populations. Smaller cities, particularly those marked by a declining population and structural weaknesses, tend to bristle when faced with “external” influence. For these cities, viewing migration-driven diversity as an opportunity to target municipal revitalization often comes less easily. Living well together in cultural diversity is more easily achieved in those areas with experience in this regard, that is, in areas where conflicts have been worked through. An important next step in the academic research on this subject involves analyzing in quantitative and especially qualitative terms the combined impact of stock and flow dynamics on various types of cities. In the short-term, municipal policymakers can draw on the findings of the study presented here

Redistributing the cake? Ethnicisation processes in the Berlin food sector

The dynamics of the ethnical structurization of labour markets is an important research issue in the US since the early 1970s. The concepts developed in these debates especially that of enclave economies cannot be easily transferred into the European or German context. The reasons are major differences in the national production regimes as well as in migration systems and history. This paper sketches a framework for research that views economic activities of ethnic groups as integral parts of the overall economy and its dynamics. The latter is actually characterized by profound trends of restructuring. It is one of our central arguments that these developments show contradictory elements concerning social, cultural and spatial aspects. These highly contingent constellations open specific structures of economic opportunities for migrants/ethnic minorities; however, they are also associated with risks. On the basis of this conceptual framework, a detailed internationally comparative study is envisaged with the aim to analyse actual processes in the food industry of capital cities in Europe. First empirical indicators are given for one of the cities of the sample: Berlin. -- Arbeitsmärkte sind durch eine Vielzahl von Merkmalen strukturiert. Ein zunehmend wichtiges Merkmal für die Organisation von Arbeitsmärkten ist - so wird hier angenommen - 'Ethnizität'. In den USA wurden die Ethnisierung von Arbeitsmärkten und die 'ethnischen Enklaven' seit vielen Jahren analysiert. Auf Europa und insbesondere Deutschland sind diese Ansätze nicht umstandslos übertragbar aufgrund der stärkeren institutionellen Regulierung der nationalen Produktionsregimes und der spezifischen Migrationssysteme und -traditionen. Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird eine Konzeption skizziert, die die Entwicklung der ethnischen Ökonomie als integralen Bestandteil der wirtschaftlichen Dynamik begreift, die aktuell durch nachhaltige Restrukturierungsprozesse geprägt ist. Die sozialen, kulturellen und räumlichen Dimensionen dieser Prozesse sind - so die These - jeweils durch gleichzeitige, aber widersprüchliche Tendenzen gekennzeichnet. Inwieweit Migranten/ethnische Minoritäten die in dieser Widersprüchlichkeit auch angelegten ökonomischen Chancen zu ihren eigenen machen können, soll in einer international vergleichenden Studie im Nahrungsgüter- Sektor von europäischen Großstädten erkundet werden. Erste fragmentierte empirische Befunde zur Situation und Entwicklung in Berlin sprechen für die Plausibilität des konzeptionellen Ansatzes.

Becoming glocal bureaucrats: mayors, institutions and civil society in smaller cities in Brandenburg during the ‘migration crisis’, 2015–17

This article analyses the positioning of mayors as intermediaries between global governance and local practices in small towns with no previous experience with immigration in the state of Brandenburg in eastern Germany between 2015 and 2017. To gain an empirical insight into the dynamics in these municipalities, the results of a study of eight towns are presented. The analytical focus is on how the redefinition of the mayors’ position took place and what the expectations, experiences and irritations were that accompanied the arrival of refugees. The article highlights how mayors governed civil society involvement and dealt with the (partly xenophobic) resident population. The mayors turned out to be glocal bureaucrats who mediated on an ad hoc basis and with unclear competences between global flows of people, local needs and nationally organized bureaucracies. Their integration in multilevel governance constellations was characterized by ambiguities. At the same time, the new situation of becoming (finally) a place of in-migration provoked minor cracks in a since long petrified institutional setting and in most places led to civil society engagement Social media acted as ‘fire accelerators’ by picking up a subliminal sense of discontent among the citizens and attributing this feeling to the arrival of the refugees.Peer Reviewe

Coming of Age: Migrant Economies and Social Policies in Germany

This paper analyzes the policies for migrant economies as part of broader social and labor market in Germany. It points out that the current fragmented and contradictory policy action can be identified as an outcome of former ambiguities and the delegation of responsibilities within a complex governance grid. Accordingly, its focus is on the inter-related dynamics of policy interventions, knowledge production and the impact of migrant agency within cities. The paper gives a condensed overview on theory and background of migrant economies, pointing to de facto barriers that persist until today. It then concentrates on the way labor market policies in respect of migration were framed in public discourse. Its empirical focus is on the web of policies and instruments that have been directed towards migrant entrepreneurship. Here, in-built ambiguities of all actions are identified as a general feature of German labor market policies

Jahrgänge 2000 bis 2004 ; Studienverlauf, Verbleib auf dem Arbeitsmarkt, Bewertung des Studiums

Elektronische Version von 200

Urban Art and Cosmopolitanism

In this special issue on urban art and cosmopolitanism, we explore emergent inquiry and explorations into the role of arts, artists and the reception of arts in the urban public space as cosmopolitan articulations, interventions and methodologies. Based on case studies we demonstrate how the hybrid city can be re-imagined by art interventions. However given the unprecendented pace of changes in cities across the globle more empirical investigations and theoretical reflections are needed to address the multi-faceted role of artists, arts and the reception of arts in the urban space

Redistributing the cake? Ethnicisation processes in the Berlin food sector

"The dynamics of the ethnical structurization of labour markets is an important research issue in the US since the early 1970s. The concepts developed in these debates especially that of enclave economies cannot be easily transferred into the European or German context. The reasons are major differences in the national production regimes as well as in migration systems and history. This paper sketches a framework for research that views economic activities of ethnic groups as integral parts of the overall economy and its dynamics. The latter is actually characterized by profound trends of restructuring. It is one of our central arguments that these developments show contradictory elements concerning social, cultural and spatial aspects. These highly contingent constellations open specific structures of economic opportunities for migrants/ ethnic minorities; however, they are also associated with risks. On the basis of this conceptual framework, a detailed internationally comparative study is envisaged with the aim to analyse actual processes in the food industry of capital cities in Europe. First empirical indicators are given for one of the cities of the sample: Berlin." (author's abstract)"Arbeitsmärkte sind durch eine Vielzahl von Merkmalen strukturiert. Ein zunehmend wichtiges Merkmal für die Organisation von Arbeitsmärkten ist - so wird hier angenommen - 'Ethnizität'. In den USA wurden die Ethnisierung von Arbeitsmärkten und die ‘ethnischen Enklaven’ seit vielen Jahren analysiert. Auf Europa und insbesondere Deutschland sind diese Ansätze nicht umstandslos übertragbar aufgrund der stärkeren institutionellen Regulierung der nationalen Produktionsregimes und der spezifischen Migrationssysteme und -traditionen. Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird eine Konzeption skizziert, die die Entwicklung der ethnischen Ökonomie als integralen Bestandteil der wirtschaftlichen Dynamik begreift, die aktuell durch nachhaltige Restrukturierungsprozesse geprägt ist. Die sozialen, kulturellen und räumlichen Dimensionen dieser Prozesse sind - so die These - jeweils durch gleichzeitige, aber widersprüchliche Tendenzen gekennzeichnet. Inwieweit Migranten/ethnische Minoritäten die in dieser Widersprüchlichkeit auch angelegten ökonomischen Chancen zu ihren eigenen machen können, soll in einer international vergleichenden Studie im Nahrungsgüter- Sektor von europäischen Großstädten erkundet werden. Erste fragmentierte empirische Befunde zur Situation und Entwicklung in Berlin sprechen für die Plausibilität des konzeptionellen Ansatzes." (Autorenreferat

On the Regional Rootedness of Population Mobility and Environmental Change

"This article argues that the interplay of changing environmental conditions in the wake of climate change and dynamic migration systems will lead to even more clearly articulated new regional formations. The way regions perceive the risks of climate change, how they cope with and adapt to these risks and their constitution as resilient entities determines the way migration and mobility take place. We focus on the regional dimensions of climate change and broader related developmental trends such as urbanisation and will highlight this nexus for coastal regions. We present two regional case studies, Keta in Ghana and Semarang in Indonesia. Both cities have experienced floods and related environmental risks throughout their histories. The contrasting analysis of the two cases illustrates that similar environmental challenges may have very different effects on the migratory patterns." (author's abstract

Environmental change and migration in coastal regions: examples from Ghana and Indonesia

Coastal regions worldwide have been focal points for migration as well as affected by environmental changes for a long time. In the debate on climate change and migration coastal regions are among the “hot spot” areas that are supposed to be prone to “climate migration” in the near future. The paper analyses the situation in two different regional settings and advocates for a sound regional perspective on the relationship of environmental change and migration. Based on the conceptual framework of migrant trajectories, the paper shows how popu­lations in Keta (Ghana) and Semarang (Indonesia), affected by similar environmental changes such as flooding and erosion, react quite differently in terms of migration and mobility. The regional perspective as well as each region’s past experiences with migration and environmental changes shows to be crucial in order to understand current reactions to environmental degradation. The Keta setting represents a typology that pronounces migration trajectories as part of long-standing interregional and international migration, the Semarang setting, however, may be classified as a rather typical modernization-induced migration scheme, linked to rapidly growing urbanisation, with “trapped populations” on the one hand and in-migration of migrant workers on the other hand

Via Baltica: Die Rolle westlicher Fach- und Führungskräfte im Transformationsprozeß Lettlands

Der Beitrag beleuchtet ein Segment der internationalen Mobilität im Kontext der Transformation: die Entsendung westlicher Fach- und Führungskräfte. Auf der Basis von Fallstudien in Unternehmen der Sektoren Nahrungsmittelproduktion und IuKTechnologien in Lettland werden die Rahmenbedingungen dieser Migration und die Funktionen der Hochqualifizierten untersucht. Der theoretisch-konzeptionelle Ansatz ist eine institutionenorientierte Perspektive, der methodische Zugang eine Mehrebenenanalyse. Die internationalen internen Arbeitsmärkte großer westlicher Unternehmen sind auch im Falle Lettlands die wichtigsten Strukturgeber für die Migration der Fach- und Führungskräfte. Für die Mehrheit der Expatriates erweisen sich als zentrale Aufgaben, Qualifikationsdefizite temporär zu überbrücken und mittelfristig die hard und soft skills an einheimisches Personal zu transferieren. Neben Kenntnissen und Fähigkeiten geht es dabei um Haltungen, Einschätzungen und Verhaltensmuster, die kaum lehrgangsmäßig gelernt werden können, sondern persönlich zu vermitteln sind und die für den gelingenden Aufbau marktwirtschaftlicher Beziehungen wichtig sind. Die Homogenität der Gruppe der Expatriates verweist auf starke Selektivität bei den Entsendeentscheidungen. Ihre Arbeitsbedingungen einerseits und ihre geringen Bezüge zu einheimischen Unternehmen andererseits zeigen Segmentierungsprozesse am Arbeitsmarkt und in der wirtschaftlichen Entwicklung Lettlands an. -- The paper analyses a specific segment of mobility processes in the context of transformation, namely the delegation of western expatriates. On the basis of case studies in companies of the food and telecommunication industries in Latvia the focus is on two questions: what is the framework for this migration and what are the roles that those mobile highly qualified people play? The theoretical concept of the study is institution oriented and methodologically a multi-level approach is used. In the case of Latvia, too, the international internal labour markets of big western companies are the major institutions that are structuring the migration of managers and experts. Their main functions consist in temporarily providing specific qualifications that are lacking because of the former socialist regime and - in medium term - to transfer hard and soft skills to local managers. These encompass - besides knowledge and competences - specific attitudes, perceptions and ways of behaviour. The latter cannot easily be learnt in seminars but have to be transmitted personally; they are important for successfully establishing market oriented business relationships. The homogeneity of the group of expatriates reflects a high degree of selectivity guiding the transfer decisions. The specific conditions of their work contracts on the one hand and their minimal relationship to local companies on the other point to segmentation trends in the labour market and the economy of Latvia.