Frank Kalter
Some recent impulses for migration research from analytical sociology, advances in methods and the German research infrastructure

Seminar, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, May 13th, 2024

This presentation delves into my involvement in various facets of contemporary research on migration, integration, and racism. On the theoretical front, I emphasize the importance of paying more attention to the micro-macro links that underlie these phenomena, drawing on analytical sociology. On the empirical side, I outline how advances in network analysis and agent-based modelling allow us to address these links more seriously, while also highlighting the merits and potential of recent large-scale longitudinal data, such as that from CILS4EU. Concerning the infrastructure, I introduce the German Center for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM), a relatively new and distinctive research institute in Berlin fostering dialogue between different paradigms and engaging with non- academic stakeholders. In particular, this dialogue has led to the initiation of the National Discrimination and Racism Monitor (NaDiRa) in Germany. In this talk, I provide a brief overview of all these developments and discuss their interconnectedness.