Separate Spaces, Separate Outcomes? Neighbourhood Impacts on Minorities in Germany

Abstract

In both the German and US literature on ethnic neighbourhoods, there is considerable debate as to whether living amongst co-ethnics hinders or furthers the integration process for immigrants. Using the detailed data on immigrant integration in the German Socio-economic Panel in combination with zip-code-level data on minority concentration and neighbourhood income levels, the research tests the extent to which ethnic neighbourhoods are economically, socially and/or culturally isolated spaces in Germany. The findings indicate that, although general neighbourhood quality is lower for minorities living within ethnic neighbourhoods, these persons are no more culturally isolated from Germans than their counterparts living outside these areas. Further, minorities living within ethnic neighbourhoods appear no more likely to maintain ties to their country of origin culture than those living outside ethnic neighbourhoods. This suggests that the correlation between social and spatial integration, assumed in much of the immigrant integration literature, requires more careful scrutiny.

Inter-Ethnic Neighbourhood Acquaintanceships of Migrants and Natives in Germany: On the Brokering Roles of Inter-Ethnic Partners and Children

“…Vervoort et al 2010), there are also studies that question the dependence of inter-ethnic contacts on ethnic residential segregation (e.g. Drever 2004) are troubling from the perspective of this approach. Well in line are findings that support the importance of host-country language skills for migrants' interethnic contacts to natives (e.g.…”

Germans in Germany's Ethnic Neighborhoods

“…The 25% cutoff was chosen because according to the SOEP, a majority of persons living in zip code areas that are 25% or more non-citizen feel they are living in an area with 'many foreigners' (see Drever 2004). Zip code areas in Germany's largest cities contain an average of 17,700 persons and are similar in size to U.S. zip codes, which are commonly used in neighborhood research (see Because immigrants on average earn less than Germans (see Münz et al 1997) one might expect average incomes of Germans in the neighborhoods where immigrants are concentrated to be lower as well.…”

“…shown that immigrants living in ethnic neighborhoods tend to be concentrated in poorer-quality housing (Drever 2004). Might that be true for non-immigrant Germans as well?…”

“…Recently, researchers have questioned the degree to which ethnic neighborhoods organize or define the personal networks of their minority inhabitants (see Drever 2004, Oberwittler 2007, Drever and Spiess 2007, Drever and Hoffmeister 2008. Advances in transportation and communication technologies arguably limit the influence of neighborhood of residence on social and career opportunities.…”

Er indvandrernes bosætningsmønster et samfundsproblem?

“…De eneste indikationer er, at beboerne i de multietniske boligområder sjaeldnere opnår kontakten med danskerne via selve boligområdet, og at der er faerre af dem, der udelukkende bruger danske medier. I en mere omfattende tysk undersøgelse (Drever 2004) findes tilsvarende konklusioner -at indvandrere i multietniske boligområder ikke er dårligere til tysk og mere kulturelt isoleret end indvandrere udenfor.…”