Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Migration und Sozialstaat

About BIM

 

Perspectives on integration of modern societies as "migration societies"

As Europe has become a region of global immigration, from the early 1980s questions concerning integration and migration processes in countries particularly including Germany have turned into key research areas that guide politics and society. However, what images and results are created when we observe and research the dynamism of entire modern societies as "migration societies? So far, the world of research has tended to apply division of labour and investigated these issues separately. Given this, the BIM aims to bring together and re-focus the as yet frequently still unclear scientific perspectives and political debates.

Perspectives of various scientific disciplines

The scope of the subject area of integration and migration is reflected by the six departments from various Berlin institutes that contribute their research knowledge to the BIM. These scientific disciplines range from social, cultural and educational sciences to sports sciences, psychology and medicine. The BIM thus unites and links widely differing scientific perspectives and methods.

New perspectives for the subject area of integration and migration

The BIM investigates subjects such as the causes of educational inequalities between children with and without migration background and the possibilities of overcoming these inequalities. Labour mobility processes in migration societies are also on the BIM's research agenda, as are the functions of sports and football in social integration. At the same time, the BIM also examines the values and initiatives of civil society in the social spheres of migration societies and the socio-cultural framework conditions of health and illness. All these issues help us gain new perspectives on the subject area of integration and migration, while highlighting new questions concerning the treatment of social conflicts and diversity in migration societies. These questions must be reflected upon in German-speaking countries with reference to the international level.

Theory-based empirical research

The BIM focuses on theory-based empirical research that is always rooted in fundamental research. At the same time, the BIM strives for a systematic transfer of research into the public sphere, ranging from critical monitoring of political debates to events addressing the public and media interventions. In this respect, the BIM perceives itself as an active observer of societal trends.

Renowned sponsors

The BIM is funded and supported by the non-profit foundation Hertie-Stiftung, the German Football Association (Deutsche Fußball-Bund, DFB), the Federal Employment Agency and the Federal Government's Representative for Migration, Refugees and Integration.