Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Department of Social Sciences - Berlin Graduate School of Social Science

Jannes Jacobsen

Name
Jannes Jacobsen
Cohort

BGSS Generation 2017

Gyimesi - mihaly.gyimesi@hu-berlin.de

 

Title

Research on the Integration of Refugees: Methodological Obstacles and First Empirical Findings

 

Abstract

With the past influx of refugees to a number of regions over the world many refugee surveys emerged. Also in Germany at the Socioeconomic Panel (SOEP) such a survey was implemented. The urge to gather especially quantitative information on this target group is high. But, the craving in many cases leads to the fact that methodological considerations are left out. More precisely this means that we apply methodological instruments to this target group without knowing whether they work the same, meaning a reliable and valid, way. Only if we make sure that those instruments are a fit we are able to gather and analyze information confidently. One of the biggest topics recently discussed in the research on refugees is the measurement of democratic values and the labor market integration. When discussing integration and how to measure it, both topics emerge regularly.

Due to the fact that this is a cumulative dissertation I will split up the topics into two content related foci dealing with three different aspects in terms of methodology: The first paper will deal with item nonresponse and a mismatch of mother tongue and chosen translation of the questionnaire. Since especially items with regard to democratic related content have high share of missing values I will aim at identifying bias due to item-nonresponse with regard to attitudes towards democracy. A second paper will then take those items measuring democratic values and look if we identify measurement invariance when comparing different sub-groups and carry out a comparative analysis with regard to democratic attitudes. A third paper will then shift the focus from values towards labor market integration in terms of the recognition of educational certificates.