Integracism At Work. The Case Of Germany

This paper further explores the notion of integracism, which has been introduced by the author briefly in a previous paper. The notion of integracism refers to a specific interpretation of the notion of integration with implicitly racist assumptions. This racially biased and ethnocentric notion of integration frames the meanings of managing ethnic diversity in Germany. Integration polices and measures are deployed to ‘aid the better integration’ of ethnic minorities, who are widely seen as deficient and difficult to integrate, rather than adopting diversity management measures to foster equality, fairness and inclusion at work. In that frame, ethnic diversity is depicted as a source of potential problems.

There is a surge in the use of the concept of integration in management of immigration, not only in Germany, but also in France and in the UK in recent years. The notion of integration is the dominant concept in the management of ethnic diversity in Germany. The aim of this paper is to examine the corrosion of the notion of integration with racial bias, which undermines the overdue proposal of equal opportunities at work. Arrangements of integration for immigrants include requirements of extensive documentation, training, point based calculations based on qualifications, economic wealth and experience, citizenship rituals. Most of these requirements are highly variable, based often on racial profiling. It could be argued that these politics and practices of managing ethnic minorities and immigrants are not as innocuous as they may seem at first sight. This paper shows how ethnocentrism and racial bias influence employment practices, leading to the exclusion of highly skiled ethnic minority workers

The paper operationalises Bourdieu’s key concepts, field, habitus and symbolic violence and draws on a large qualitative study based on more than 40 interviews, a case-study, focus group as well as visual material and a research diary.