Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Chair of Sport Sociology

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Civic Engagement of Women with Immigrant Backgrounds - Scientific Evaluation of the Competition -Migrants Get Involved- in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW)

Project information

On behalf of the Ministerium für Generationen, Familie, Frauen und Integration (MGFFI) [Ministry for Inter-Generational and Family Affairs, Women and Integration] of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, a contest titled “Migrants Get Involved” received scientific support in form of a systematic decision-making basis for the rewarding jury.

Summary

Under the direction of the Ministry for Inter-Generation and Family Affairs, Women and Integration (MGFFI), the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) is preparing a contest for the civic engagement of women with an immigration history, under the working title Opportunity NRW “Migrant women get involved”. The goal of the competition is to call attention to the accomplishments and strengths of the civic engagement of women with immigration history as well as to recognise and honour the female immigrants for their participation.

The social involvement of migrant women for people with and without immigration history is especially valuable from the point of view of integration policy, as it points out unique qualities of these socially committed people: in order to become selflessly involved for others, outside of the social comfort zone of the family and circle of friends, the migrants must identify with the community of the surrounding society and feel emotionally connected. Such an emotional connection, which is termed ‘habitual civil competence’ in the discussion on civic engagement, can be regarded as an indication of a successful integration in the host society.

Furthermore, female migrants are included in interactions and relationships with other people of the host society through their social activity and consequently can produce social capital. Not least is civic engagement also a place of learning, where certain banks of knowledge and competencies (eg. linguistic capabilities) can be acquired and deepened. In this sense civic engagement can assist the integration of migrant women in the German society.

The Research Institute for Civic Engagement is guiding the competition ”Migrant women get involved“ on a scientific level, by devising a systematic basis for decision-making for the awarding jury. Five procedures are in its centre:

Making the concept ‚engagement’ functional: The use of the term helps the jury to confine the applicant’s activity clearly from activities in other social sectors (state, market, privat sphere).

Determining the area of engagement: Awards are planned for socially active female migrants in the areas of ’upbringing and education’, ’general integration’ and ’social policy’. These content of these fields of involvement will be made more precise to enable the jury to classify the applicants’ participation.

Developing a catalogue of criteria: The catalogue of criteria serves to compare the applicants’ civic engagement on the basis of clear-cut factors.

Developing a data entry form: Based on the compiled criteria a data entry form is constructed to enable the jury to carry out the process on a selection of applicants.

Consulting service: The research institute is available for consulting for the whole duration of the competition.

More information

Project team: Prof. Dr. Sebastian Braun (head of the project), Dr. Stefan Hansen

Duration: 12.2006 till 03.2007

On behalf of: Ministry for Inter-Generation and Family Affairs, Women and Integration (MGFFI), North Rhine-Westphalia