Promising Practice

National Discrimination & Racism Monitor

Nationaler Diskriminierungs- & Rassismusmonitor (NaDiRa)
The National Discrimination & Racism Monitor aims to examine the causes, extent and consequences of racism in Germany. The project intends to provide an effective tool for monitoring racism by combining quantitative, qualitative and experimental methods.
Country
Germany
Type
Institutional and structural guidelines
Carry out user needs assessment
Operational guidelines
Ensure comprehensiveness
Ensure representativeness
Ensure regular and timely data collection
Category
Age
Gender identity or expression
Racial or ethnic origin
Sex
Includes multiple / intersectional discrimination

 


In this page:


Why was the practice needed?

Relatively recent events, such as the uncovering of a series of racist murders by the extreme right-wing terrorist group National Socialist Underground (NSU) and errors in the investigation by the security authorities, as well as the subsequent public and political debates, have brought racism to the fore. Threats by the successor group NSU 2.0 and connections discovered with police, the murder of the CDU politician Walter Lübcke, and the terrorist attacks in Halle in 2019 and Hanau in 2020 have led – under pressure from migrant organisations – to the formation of a Cabinet Committee on Combating Right-wing Extremism and Racism to take appropriate measures to counteract racism. During the coronavirus pandemic, anti-Asian racism, which had hitherto hardly been named in Germany, clearly emerged and antisemitic conspiracy theories experienced an unprecedented surge. Furthermore, the Black Lives Matter protests in the US met with a strong response in Germany and the rest of Europe. In response to this political context, the German Bundestag decided to give additional funds for the establishment of a national monitor on discrimination and racism (NaDiRa) at the German Centre for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM).

How was it implemented?

To manage the monitoring, the NaDiRa office was established at the German Centre for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM.

NaDiRa consists of various research modules. A key component is a nationwide randomised panel study, in which the German population (including members of racialised groups) are regularly surveyed on the topic of racism, their perceptions and the realities of their lives.

Outputs

Studies and reports

The creation of a comprehensive monitor with its own survey instruments, which are to be organised in modules, was prepared professionally and organisationally in 2020. For this purpose, the technical and interdisciplinary competence of various research institutions linked in DeZIM was made use of. With 34 short studies selected for funding in a call for tenders, six thematic priorities were set during the preparation of the racism monitor:

  1. Health system
  2. Education system and labour market
  3. Institutional racism
  4. Responses to experiences of racism
  5. Racism, public participation and the media
  6. Racist ideologies and attitudes.

Thirty-four short studies were completed. More than 120 scientists participated in these studies.

Furthermore, over 30 expert reports about to racism research were commissioned and will be published in 2022.

The findings of the first population survey carried out to prepare the monitor will be published in the report Racist realities – How does Germany deal with racism? in May 2022.

Communication and public relations

A lecture series, dealing with current aspects and challenges of international racism research, was put in place to reflect on racism and discuss how to understand and interpret it through dialogue. It is intended to enable a complex understanding of racism among international in its individual, institutional, structural and social dimensions, in order to shed light on racism from a global perspective and the particular challenge for Germany.

Key success factors

  • The structure of DeZIM (consisting of an institute and a network of research institutions) enables DeZIM to draw on established interdisciplinary expertise from research institutions nationwide.
  • Civil society participation. The focus is and was on establishing a reciprocal transfer of knowledge between NaDiRa and civil society. Discussions are currently being held with various migrant organisations. The aim is to determine their needs and to collect ideas about what expectations, hopes and fears are associated with such a process.
  • Funding and support at federal level.

Technical information

  • Data sources covered: Victimisation surveys; Attitudinal surveys; Discrimination testing; Qualitative research
  • Areas of life covered: Employment; Education; Health; Housing and living conditions; Others: Public spaces and leisure time, public authorities, media
  • Target audience: Scientists, politicians, civil society, media.
  • Duration: Since 2020, institutionalisation planned.
  • Geographical scope: Germany
  • Leading institution: German Centre for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM).
  • Other organisations involved/consulted: External advisory board, the DeZIM research community and civil society.
  • Financial & human resources: Budget: About €3.5 million p.a.; Source of the budget: Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth; Staff: 27

Contacts

Dr Cihan Sinanoglu
Leitung der Geschäftsstelle des Nationalen Diskriminierungs- und Rassismusmonitors (NaDiRa) | Leitungsstab

Deutsches Zentrum für Integrations- und Migrationsforschung (DeZIM) e.V.
Mauerstraße 76 | 10117 Berlin
Mail: sinanoglu@dezim-institut.de
Web: www.dezim-institut.de / https://www.rassismusmonitor.de/
Tel.: +49 30 200754-250