Has the Covid-19 pandemic undermined public support for a diverse society? Evidence from a natural experiment in Germany

The Covid-19 pandemic has led to widespread worries that the health crisis is resulting in generalized hostility towards minorities and reduced support for a diverse society. Relying on a large survey of diversity attitudes in Germany fielded before and during the pandemic, we employ a quasi-experimental design to evaluate whether such a trend has occurred among the general public. Past work suggests two competing expectations – one anticipating a rise in hostility grounded in threat theories, and one anticipating stability grounded in public opinion research and theories of longer-term value change. Empirical results reveal generally high assent to socio-demographic diversity and minority accommodation, and remarkable stability during the pandemic period. Additionally, survey vignettes show strong and equally stable anti-discrimination norms that are inclusive of Asian-origin populations. Overall, results suggest that surges in racist incidents during the pandemic do not reflect analogous surges in hostility within the population at large

The “Diversity Assent” (DivA) survey: Technical report

How do people living in contemporary Germany react to diversification in their every- day life? What undergirds pro-diversity perspectives among those who live in rapidly diversifying cities? Conversely, what are their limits, and what groups are excluded? The Diversity Assent (DivA) project was designed to understand the foundations and mecha- nisms underlying the acceptance of socio-demographic heterogeneity on multiple dimen- sions in cities located both in West and East Germany. Two core motivations underlie the project. So far, we insufficiently understand what motivates those who oppose right- wing positions – usually a majority among inhabitants of cities in Germany and other Western European countries. Second, this project builds on a previous large-scale project of the Socio-Cultural Diversity department at MPI-MMG, “Diversity and Contact”. In particular, it explores to what extent attitudes and patterns of interaction have changed, or remained constant, in the decade from 2010 to 2020, which was a time of major ruptures and political polarization. We designed a large telephone survey of 2,917 respondents asking a set of interrelated questions on dispositions towards diversity, everyday experi- ences and diversification dynamics. This includes a set of survey experiments designed to tap and measure social norms of tolerance. This report presents technical aspects of the survey relevant to interested users of the DivA Dataset

Macht Minderheitenstatus differenzaffin? Das Beispiel einer schwul-lesbischen Organisation in Deutschland

Die Auseinandersetzung zivilgesellschaftlicher Organisationen mit Migration und migrationsbedingter Diversität ist Neuland für die Forschung. Der Beitrag präsentiert Ergebnisse eines Projekts (ZOMiDi), das für ausgewählte zivilgesellschaftliche Organisationen in Deutschland empirische Erkenntnisse erarbeiten und auf dieser Basis theoretische Überlegungen zu Dynamiken des Wandels in diesem Organisationstypus vorlegen will. Im Mittelpunkt steht hier eine Organisation zunächst von Schwulen, dann auch von Lesben in Deutschland. Ein Bekenntnis zur Vielfalt der Gesellschaft gehörte seit seiner Gründung zur Programmatik dieses Verbandes. Die Forderung nach Anerkennung individueller Verschiedenheit war und ist für Menschen, deren sexuelle Identität lange kriminalisiert wurde, zentraler Baustein einer Akzeptanz der eigenen Verschiedenheit als Teil gesellschaftlicher Normalität. Trotzdem verlief die Auseinandersetzung mit der migrationsbedingten sozio-kulturellen Diversität nicht konfliktfrei. Der Beitrag erklärt die konflikthafte Entwicklung der Positionen dieses Verbandes Schwuler und Lesben seit den 1990er Jahren als Ausdruck zweier Spannungsfelder. Einmal ist dies die Koexistenz von Vorstellungen von Vielfalt und Community/Gemeinschaft. Zweitens ist die Unterscheidung zwischen Migrant*innen innerhalb der eigenen schwullesbischen Bevölkerungsgruppe und außerhalb, in der Gesellschaft im Allgemeinen, zentral für das Verständnis dieser zivilgesellschaftlichen Organisation. Haltungen zu Migrant*innen, so unser Argument, ergeben sich nicht unmittelbar aus dem Minderheitenstatus, sondern vermittelt über organisationsspezifische Selbstverortungen oder Positionsbestimmungen der Organisationsidentität

At the extremes of exclusion: Deportation, detention and dispersal

Deportation, detention and dispersal have formed an occasional part of Britain's migration regime throughout the twentieth century, though they tended to be used in response to particular events or “crises”. By the end of the twentieth century, however, deportation, detention and, most recently, dispersal have become “normalized”, “essential” instruments in the ongoing attempt to control or manage immigration to Britain. This article outlines the use of detention, deportation and dispersal in the twentieth century exploring how they have evolved and then become an integral part of the migration regime into the twenty-first century. Where appropriate, British practices are compared with those of its European neighbours, where to differing degrees, deportation, detention and dispersal have also become everyday practices. In examining these practices in Britain, we consider the rationale and stated aims of their employment, as well as describing some of the consequences, where known, of detention, deportation and dispersal

Scenario-Based Design Theorizing:The Case of a Digital Idea Screening Cockpit

As ever more companies encourage employees to innovate, a surplus of ideas has become reality in many organizations – often exceeding the available resources to execute them. Building on insights from a literature review and a 3-year collaboration with a banking software provider, the paper suggests a Digital Idea Screening Cockpit (DISC) to address this challenge. Following a design science research approach, it suggests a prescriptive design theory that provides practitioner-oriented guidance for implementing a DISC. The study shows that, in order to facilitate the assessment, selection, and tracking of ideas for different stakeholders, such a system needs to play a dual role: It needs to structure decision criteria and at the same be flexible to allow for creative expression. Moreover, the paper makes a case for scenario-based design theorizing by developing design knowledge via scenarios