Inequality and participation

The department bundles research projects on socio-structural and socio-cultural conditions of social participation. Our special expertise lies in survey access to hard-to-reach target groups.

The term “participation” is associated with the right of all people to take part in social and cultural life on an equal footing – regardless of origin, age, gender or the presence of an impairment or disability. This guiding principle is often linked to politically relevant objectives – such as “generational justice,” “social cohesion” or “equal participation. However, opportunities for participation in our society come up against a variety of barriers – and are embedded in structures of social inequality.

The department “Inequality and Participation” bundles a variety of survey and research projects that focus on the life situations of specific groups. With the aim of obtaining objectifiable data, we offer state-of-the-art research methods as well as project logistics within the framework of project consulting, development, management and implementation. With elaborate sampling concepts and flexible use of multi-method survey techniques, target groups can be reached, such as old and very old people, people with impairments and disabilities, people in institutions or in workshops, people in old people’s and nursing homes, victims of crime or also political-religious minorities.