Hierarchies in Skin Color E-Book

Tamara Mayer

• Herausgeber: Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 100

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

If discrimination and racism still exist, freedom is a misleading or wrong notion. Ukrainian refugees being referred to as real war refugees and Syrian refugees as economy migrants or fraud. Reports about Ukrainian refugees given priority over Non-European refugees at public facilities or when crossing borders. These describe the occurring german public discourse since the beginning of the war in Ukraine which address a hierarchy in the treatment of different ethnic groups of refugees. The scientific paper, which was submitted as a Bachelor thesis, considers the two refugee situations in 2015, 2016 and 2022 in Germany. The focus is on the similarities and differences on a systemic and structural level in Germany and the EU for the two largest refugee groups, namely from Syria and Ukraine. It is compared based on the characterization of the respective refugee group, the reasons for their flight, the contexts of the two wars and their relationship to the German society. Moreover it is analyzed how the colonial legacy impacts todays institutions, legal regulations and the representation of ethnic minorities in the media and political discourse. The title Hierarchies in Skin Color refers to a superiority and inferiority of different Skin Colors among different ethnic refugee groups. During the processing of the topic the role of Skin Color and ethnicity as well as the White factor are considered, also by using postcolonial theories and studies by Edward Said and Homi Bhabha. Furthermore, the role of International Social Work as a Human rights profession within existing power structures and the reproduction of racism belong to the scope of work. Throughout history, different ethnic groups have been oppressed by using formulations of racial theories. One was formulated during the European colonialism on the basis of Skin Color which led to an ideology of racism up to the present. This is a call for the injustices in the world, in particular due to racism.

Leseprobe

Tamara Mayer

Hierarchies in Skin Color –

A postcolonial refugee situation in Germany

Tamara Mayer

HIERARCHIES

IN

SKIN COLOR

A postcolonial refugee situation in Germany

Impressum

© 2023 Tamara Mayer

Alle Rechte vorbehalten

Herstellung und Verlag: BoD – Books on Demand, Norderstedt

ISBN: 978-3-7568-0762-8

Inhaltsverzeichnis

C H A P T E R O N E : Introduction11

1.1.Focus and scope12

1.2.Purpose and significance13

1.3.Questions and objectives15

1.4.Limitations of this study15

1.5.Overview of the structure16

1.6.Explanation of terms18

C H A P T E R T W O : Approaching the concept of racism22

2.1.The emergence of racial theories during colonialism22

2.2. Postcolonial theories26

2.2.1. Said’s Orientalism28

2.2.2. Bhabha on migration and colonialism29

2.4. Systemic and institutional/structural racism31

C H A P T E R T H R E E : Refugee situation in Germany33

3.1. The emergence of new forms of racism34

3.1.1. Xenophobia34

3.1.2. Anti-muslim racism35

3.2. In the years 2015/201636

3.2.1. Framing of the ’refugee crisis’37

3.2.1.1. Media38

3.2.1.2 Politics42

3.2.2. Closing the EU borders45

3.2.3. Barriers in institutions49

3.3. In the year 202252

3.3.1. The ‘victim’ frame53

3.3.1.1. Media53

3.3.1.2. Politics55

3.3.2. Opening the EU borders56

3.3.3. White privilege for Ukrainian refugees58

3.3.3. Racism against refugees of Color59

3.4. Expression of postcolonialism60

C H A P T E R F O U R : Rethinking Social Work66

4.1. Social Work and its integration into power structures66

4.2. Social work with refugees in the field of tension between power and powerlessness67

4.3. Postcolonial, Critical and anti-racist approach69

4.4. Decolonizing our minds72

C H A P T E R F I V E : Conclusion74

Bibliography79

Foreword

If discrimination and racism still exist, freedom is a wrong notion or misconception. Freedom is bound to external factors and attributions that one cannot influence, such as place of birth, ethnic origin, perceived gender, the perception others have of one, etc. If the system ties one’s freedom to certain factors, others are oppressed by it. The system was not based on the freedom for all people. It is a system that privileges certain individuals with external factors that are identified as positive. No one is free because freedom is tied to factors that cannot be influenced.

The motivation for working on the topic of this thesis stems from my internship abroad in a refugee center in Türkiye. Working with refugees has made me realize my own privileges only because of where and by whom I was born to. Hearing their stories and seeing the suffering they experience or have experienced including on the flight from Türkiye to Greece is my motivation for this thesis.

This is a call for the injustices in the world –

in particular due to racism.

C H A P T E R O N E : Introduction

‘Two classes of refugees’ or ‘good and bad refugees’ describe the debate in german media since the war broke out in Ukraine. Ukrainian refugees being referred to as ‘real’ war refugees and Syrian refugees as ‘economy migrants’ or ‘fraud’. Reports about Ukrainian refugees given priority over Non-European refugees at public facilities or when crossing borders. A hierarchy in the treatment of the different refugee groups is clearly addressed in it.

War is a cause of displacement and migration, along with economic reasons, poverty, environmental disasters or other violent conflicts (Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung e.V. 2022). There are 103 million forcibly displaced people at mid-2022 worldwide among them 32,5 million refugees (UNHCR 2022b). Refugees represent one of the most marginalized populations. Due to the physical and emotional destruction of their homes, they are forced to flee with their basic needs endangered. War, persecution and torture cause physical and mental suffering and can cause trauma to those affected (Bajaj und Stanford 2022: 1). The experience of racism can intensify this more. Syria and Ukraine are among the countries from where the most people flee from (UNHCR 2022b). Refugees from Syria are the largest refugee group in the world with 6.8 million people (UNHCR 2022b). From which 6.25 % applied for asylum in 2015/2016 in Germany (BAMF 2021). The group of Syrian refugees was the largest refugee group at that time and belonged to the 1.2 million asylum seekers who came to Germany in 2015/2016 (BAMF 2021). These two years were marked as the well-known ‘refugee crisis’. Since 2016, the number of new arrivals of asylum seekers has descreased. In 2022 the number increased again due to the Ukrainian refugee movement to Germany. Refugees from Ukraine are now the third largest refugee group worldwide with 6.3 million people (UNHCR 2022b). From which 19% fled to Germany (Mediendienst Integration 2022). These two refugee movements were the largest ones to Germany and within Europe. Refugee movements are usually seen as a challenge for a country that opens its borders to refugees. This challenge can be perceived either positively or negatively. Both refugee movements have evoked reactions in German media and politics. Responses ranged from a welcoming attitude towards the refugee arrivals, to changes on the systematic level indicating a hierarchy among refugees.

Hierarchy describes a structure of power and occurs in different contexts and areas of the system and society based on different factors that place some in a superior or inferior position. One factor can be the Skin Color or ethnicity of a person and acts within the power system of racism. Throughout history several ethnic groups were oppressed due to formulations of racial theories. One was formulated during the European colonialism on the basis of Skin Color, which placed White people in a superior and Non-White people in an inferior position leading to an ideology of racism up to the present. The colonialism went on for around 500 years and had major impacts on entire nations and generations which in retrospect is leading to displacement and marginalization of formerly colonized people to former colonizing countries nowadays. Postcolonialism can help to understand past and present refugee situations and explain the current treatment of different ethnic refugee groups. Inferring from this, it can be examined how the power imbalance based on Skin Color and ethnicity in the colonial era impacts the refugee situation in a postcolonial Germany.

.1. Focus and scope

This thesis focuses on the two refugee situations in 2015/2016 and 2022 in Germany by applying postcolonial theories and studies. The topic ‘Hierarchies in Skin Color’ refers to a superiority and inferiority of different Skin Colors among different ethnic refugee groups. This aspect is examined using postcolonial theories by Edward Said and Homi Bhabha. In addition, historical inputs as well as theories from social sciences are applied. It is analyzed how the colonial discourse has an impact on institutions, legal regulations and stereotypes about ethnic minorities today. The main focus is on the two main groups of refugees in Germany, namely the Syrian and the Ukrainian refugee group. For this the similarities and differences on the systemic and structural level for Syrian refugees and Ukrainian refugees are being compared also by drawing on two newer forms of racism. Therefore adapted immigration and refugee policies by Germany and the EU and their consequences on the institutional level are examined. As well as the representation of the two ethnic refugee groups in media and politics. The media and political discourses are comparable based on the characterization of the respective refugee group, the reasons for their flight and their relationship to the German society. The contexts of the wars and how these are received in the media and by society are also considered. Similarly, the treatment of the Ukrainian refugee group is compared to that of refugees of Color at border crossings and public facilities in the year 2022. The role of Skin Color and ethnicity as well as the White factor is considered during the processing of the topic. Furthermore, the role of International Social Work as a human rights profession within existing power structures and the reproduction of racism belong to the scope of work.

.2. Purpose and significance

As refugees are a diverse and marginalized group it is essential as a Social Worker to gain an in-depth understanding of the link between postcolonialism and racism. The increasing prominence of postcolonialism and decolonization suggests more awareness of postcolonial issues. Racism is a prevailing problem upheld by systems, policies and institutions today. The main purpose of this research is to raise the awareness of the readers of this paper about postcolonial theories and studies and the implications for racism in the world today. It is important to pass on this awareness and knowledge to the majority society and dominant powers, as they are the ones most likely to be able to make a difference. This thesis helps to get an understanding of the current problem of inequality of different ethnic groups of refugees in Germany and the EU by providing knowledge of the underlying roots of the prevailing problem. A new understanding of postcolonialism connected to racism is proposed.

The topic to be addressed is relevant to Social work because it is a human rights profession and advocates for the equal treatment of all people regardless of Skin Color or ethnicity. Knowledge and raising awareness are important in order to not disadvantage marginalized groups and reproduce racism. As an ongoing International Social Worker it is significant to raise awareness for the inequalities based on racism inter alia faced by refugees of Color. Another aim is to initiate a rethinking for current and future Social Workers for a postcolonial, critical and anti-racist approach.

This thesis addresses the gap in literature on the different treatment on different levels building on existing research. While there are many studies on the refugee situation in 2015/2016, there are few that specifically address the recent refugee situation in 2022 in relation to the topic addressed in this paper. For this issue mainly scientific journal articles are consulted. However, the differences at the systemic and institutional level between European and non-European refugees should be further researched in the future.

.3. Questions and objectives

The research question is: What are the differences on a systematic and institutional or structural level for non-European and Ukrainian refugees in Germany? This will be researched on basis of a theoretical approach. It is processed by secondary data meaning literature review to situate this research in an existing body of work. Existing scientific theories are examined. Initially, a thesis on the problem is set up, which is then further developed and examined based on existing literature. In addition to reproducing the current state of research, the main part of the paper is a presentation or comparison in which the contributions of various authors are reviewed and discussed. An objective is to provide an insight of the impacts of overt but especially covert racism at different levels of the system in Germany. Other objectives are to explore the Eurocentrism and White privilege in the ongoing refugee situation.

Further research issues are the effects of postcolonialism on the two largest refugee groups and in which ways Skin Color and ethnicity play a role in being a refugee in Germany and the EU. Which colonial or orientalist stereotypes about the two ethnic groups are framed in the media and political discourse in Germany? How can this shape foreign policy laws and public services or the other way around? What role does Eurocentrism play in the current refugee situation in Germany? Do Ukrainian refugees have White privilege? How is Social Work integrated into power structures? These questions are explored in this thesis.

.4. Limitations of this study