Germany has been a country of migration already before the so-called summer of migration of 2015. Currently around 11 Million migrants (i.e. people of non-German nationality) live in Germany. These migrants came or come to Germany because of an abundance of reasons and drivers (e.g. love, adventure, studies, seeking refuge, search for a better/different way of life). Factors like nationality, political or socio-economic reasons, individual backgrounds or experiences determine and influence their access to the German labor market.
For these migrants, the pandemic has resulted in a lack of job opportunities or reduced incomes which negatively affect their livelihoods. On the one hand, this is because Germany’s state regulations against the corona virus pandemic have slowed down the German economy in general and Berlin as an apt case has not been excepted. And on the other hand, many sectors of activities have reduced the number of their employees or do not prolong the work contracts of those with “short term” contracts or simply do not have another choice than e.g. closing their shops or restaurants.
However, as a response to their needs of survival, many migrants have developed resilient and efficient strategies to acclimatize themselves in the “Berlin economic chain” in times of this pandemic. One of these strategies is the uptake of work activities in Berlin’s night time economy. For instance, more migrants have taken up economic activities at places known as places with high criminality rate (in German “Kriminalitätsbelastete Orte”) i.e. Alexanderplatz, Görlitzer Park, Hermannplatz, Hermannstraße, Kottbusser Tor, Rigaer Straße and Warschauer Brücke.
Investigating Berlin’s night time economy (and in particular at these places with high criminality rate), is not just interesting in times of the pandemic and from an economic geography perspective. But is also worth studying from a social geography perspective as it is where people and migrants from different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds and various purposes meet and interact.
In this study project, we are going to analyze the participation of migrants in Berlin’s night time economy in order to reveal the characteristics and features of this type of economic activities in Berlin and the reasons why migrants turn(ed) to the night time economy for income generation.
The course intends to explore the Berlin night economy from a transdisciplinary approach. What do we understand by Berlin’s night economy? What are the characteristics? Where is night time economy located in Berlin and why? What kind of activities are taking place in the Berlin night economy and why? What are the sociodemographic characteristic of people turning to activities of the night time economy and activities in Berlin and with what purposes? What impact does the night time economy and activities have on the people present and turning to its job opportunities in Berlin?
To this end, this course also encourages students from non-German nationalities to participate. The participants’ knowledge and experience will bring valuable perspectives to understand, critically study and make sense of Berlin’s night time economy.
COURSE OBJECTIVES AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
The objective of this course is to equip students with an in-depth understanding of Berlin’s night economy and the everyday life happening in these activities. It will enable the participants to critically and academically understand, reflect and study these special activities in Berlin. By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Knowledge
- Understand, describe and identify the core theories and issues of Berlin’s night economy
- Have an overview of different place-specific infrastructures and people/actors interacting with and being present in the different sector of Berlin’s night economy
Academic/Transferable Skills
- Develop, understand and critical reflect research projects
- Communicate and discuss key concepts of the course’s topic, research designs and results
- Working in international and interdisciplinary teams
Competencies
- Read the most recent theoretical and empirical research in the course’s topic
- Apply relevant theories and concepts in independent work to understand and analyze current problems in Berlin urban everyday life night economy
- Using ethno-geographic research methods as an entry point for research and studying topics and problems relevant to societies and communities
COURSE SCHEDULE
Week 1: Introduction to the course and to Berlin’s night time economy
Week 2: People and their activities in Berlin’s night time economy
Week 3: People and their activities in Berlin’s night time economy in times of the corona pandemic
Week 4: Mapping Berlin’s night time economy – Their location, history and infrastructures
Week 5: Key concepts and theories
Week 6: Developing a research design
Week 7: Ethno-sociogeographical research and its methods
Week 8: Presentation of the research designs I
Week 9: Presentation of the research designs II
Week 10: A ‘small Africa’ in Berlin: night time socio-economic activities in the Görlitzer Park
Week 11: Conflicts, drivers and their actors |
