Perceptions, Prevalence and Consequences of Everyday Discrimination

Over the past few decades, Germany has undergone a transformation from a largely ethnically homogenous population to an increasingly diverse destination for immigrants from around the world. As many new immigrants come from religiously and culturally different societies, how can immigrants successfully integrate into German society? One main barrier to integration is discrimination. While the negative physical and mental health effects of discrimination in the labour or housing markets have been well documented, even much subtler forms of discrimination can lead to negative health outcomes and lower life satisfaction among immigrants and ethnic minorities. Using survey and field experimental data, this study aims to investigate the impact of everyday discrimination or subtle, unintentional differences in the behaviour of members of a native majority in their interactions with members of minority groups. Everyday discrimination has perhaps become the most common form of discrimination due to shifting societal norms that discourage more overt differential treatment. Thus, understanding everyday discrimination is key to understanding immigrants’ and ethnic minorities’ experiences in contemporary Germany and may also help explain disparities in well-being and integration outcomes.