Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Welcoming Neighborhoods

Welcoming Neighborhoods – Conditions of Social Cohesion in super-diverse Communities

The research project “Welcoming Neighborhoods – Conditions of Social Cohesion in super-diverse communities” explores the conditions of social cohesion and conflicts in urban neighborhoods in Germany: What forms of respectful conviviality are present in German urban neighborhoods that are characterized by diversity? Under which circumstances do conflicts emerge? Can conflicts contribute to a new understanding of local community, including a new understanding of the “welcoming culture” towards refugees? What causes of conflicts are there and in what way do socio-economic status or intercultural competences of the residents matter?

 

The refugee migration within recent years partly leads to a sudden increase of diversity of migration narratives, religions, lifestyles and socio-economic backgrounds. In this research project we want to find out how this diversity is received in different neighborhoods and which factors influence their functioning for the better or the worse.

 

Against this background the focus of the research project “Welcoming Neighborhoods” is the question of social cohesion and practices of conviviality within local communities with increasing diversity. For this it is central to find out by which factors the social cohesion is strengthened and what kind of values, norms, experiences and negotiation processes come into play. Therefore, we examine four neighborhoods within bigger German cities, which differ in terms of socio-economic and socio-cultural diversity.

 

Project Management:

Nihad El-Kayed, M.A. (n.el-kayed@hu-berlin.de)

(until 04/2020 jointly with Dr. Ulrike Hamann (ulrike.hamann@sowi.hu-berlin.de))

 

Research Associate:

Leoni Keskinkılıç, M.A. (leoni.keskinkilic@hu-berlin.de)

Dr. Sebastian Juhnke (sebastian.juhnke@hu-berlin.de)

 

Student Assistants:

Camille Ionescu (camille.ionescu@hu-berlin.de)

Yagmur Dalga (yagmur.dalga@hu-berlin.de)