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07.04.2025 12:23

“Debates about diversity need more nuance”

Tim Eckes Zentrum für Wissenschaftskommunikation
Exzellenzcluster „Religion und Politik“ an der Universität Münster

Public discussions about promoting diversity are often oversimplified according to researchers – Sociologist Ines Michalowski: “The effects of diversity measures vary greatly and depend on many factors, including in the area of religion” – New degree programme “Diversity and Social Inequality” at the University of Münster prepares students for diversity issues in organizations – Registration from 1 May

According to researchers, debates about diversity programmes in companies and public institutions, and the question of how to deal with social diversity, are often oversimplified. “Whoever looks at how companies and organizations deal with diversity and differences, for example in terms of gender, origin, age, religion or sexual orientation – they see a highly variegated picture: studies show major differences depending on the organization, country and character of diversity. And, according to studies in the US, the effects of programmes to foster diversity and equality are not always clear-cut”, says Ines Michalowski, a sociologist of religion at the University of Münster’s Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics”. How schools, armed forces, hospitals and swimming pools deal with diversity differs not only between countries, but also within individual countries. Take religion, for example: “Prayer rooms or permission to wear headscarves or kippahs are not available everywhere. The French state keeps religion at arm’s length when it comes to the school system; in the armed forces, though, it makes concessions to religious minorities. In Germany, it is often the other way around”. According to Michalowski, how public organizations deal with diversity is also shaped by the state’s general relationship with minorities and the function and current interests of the organizations. Starting in the 2025-26 winter term, a new Master’s programme at the University of Münster in “Diversity and Social Inequality” will prepare students to deal with diversity issues and conflicts in organizations. Registration begins on 1 May.

In her project at the Cluster of Excellence, Ines Michalowski is using religious diversity as an example to study diversity issues more generally. She is examining how public organizations deal with religious clothing and symbols, dietary rules, holidays, pastoral care, prayer times and prayer rooms in about 20 countries. Initial results show a varied picture: “For example, in a state institution such as a prison, inmates are usually cut off from the outside world. Religion is seen as playing a supportive role here, for example in reintegration, which is why prisons often make a wide range of religious activities available. Soldiers, too, can hardly participate in local religious activities, especially during deployment, which is why the military often provides its own religious activities. This is also shown by plans to introduce Muslim pastoral care in the Bundeswehr alongside Catholic, Protestant and Jewish military chaplaincies (the latter the result of a decision made in 2020)”. Patients in hospitals are also confronted with existential questions of life and death. “Organizations of this kind are more likely to cater generously for religious minorities, and this is true across national borders”, says Michalowski. The results of the international study will be presented for discussion at the “International Society for the Sociology of Religion” (ISSR) conference in Kaunas in July 2025; results on the military in six countries have already been published.

As for the effects of diversity measures in international companies, some of which are being scaled back in the US in response to President Donald Trump’s pronouncements, Michalowski explained: “Here, too, there are often major differences depending on the country and type of organization. US studies even suggest that diversity training programmes that are mandatory for the entire workforce can tend to result in negative attitudes towards diversity. In contrast, mentoring programmes for the minorities concerned have a positive effect and help integrate minorities into organizations”. According to Michalowski, a variety of factors can be used to determine when diversity measures are successful, such as how diverse the workforce actually is, how often and what types of conflicts arise around diversity, and how strongly employees identify with the organization. This could help measure the effects of diversity programmes scientifically, and therefore help make sometimes heated debates more objective.

The new Master’s programme in “Diversity and Social Inequality” at the University of Münster’s Institute of Sociology prepares students for empirical-scientific work on diversity issues. “The course provides a broad range of empirical, theoretical and methodological knowledge in the field of diversity”, says Ines Michalowski. It highlights, for example, which measures are suitable from a scientific viewpoint for organizations to map and promote diversity, also taking into account that organizations operate in different (national and regional) environments. Current diversity debates are linked in the programme to classic sociological analyses of social inequality. “Students also take a closer look at the diversity policy of a specific organization and gain practical experience in how diversity is dealt with in organizations”, she says. The new degree programme is aimed at graduates with a Bachelor’s degree in sociology or a comparable degree programme, and requires a basic knowledge of empirical social research. The target group also includes people who have already worked for some time in governmental, private or non-governmental organizations. Applications can be made via the Institute of Sociology website at the University of Münster from 1 May. The deadline for registration is 15 July.

US President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would be scaling back diversity programmes in public administration has recently led to political debates about diversity programmes and social diversity becoming more intense across the world. During his election campaign, Trump announced his intention to abolish the promotion and representation of social diversity in public administration. Several US and international companies followed Trump’s lead and removed their descriptions of such programmes from their websites, for example. But some resisted. For Michalowski, it remains to be seen whether diversity programmes will be scaled back in Germany: “It is also possible that some companies will adopt a ‘now-more-than-ever’ attitude and even intensify their efforts to deal with diversity”. (tec/vvm)

Registration for the new degree programme from 1 May at the following link: https://www.uni-muenster.de/Soziologie/en/studium/studiengaenge/diversitymaster....

Research results on swimming pools and the military already published:

Michalowski, Ines/Schmidt, Oliver (2025): Conflict Dynamics in Organizational Decision-Making. Muslim Accommodation in Swimming Pools, Journal of Organizational Sociology (Online first). https://doi.org/10.1515/joso-2024-0034

Michalowski, Ines (2022): Organisationsspezifische Formen der Aushandlung von Säkularität: Anpassungen für Islam und Muslime im Militär, Soziale Welt 2022/25 (Sonderband), 27–62. https://doi.org/10.5771/9783748931607-27

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Prof. Dr. Ines Michalowski
David Ausserhofer

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