Projects / Programmes
Reducing and eliminating discrimination based on ethnicity, 'race', nationality and/or religion
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 5.11.01 |
Social sciences |
Ethnic studies |
Ethnic studies - social science aspect |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| S000 |
Social sciences |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 5.04 |
Social Sciences |
Sociology |
discrimination, ethnicity, race, nationality, religion, Slovenia, awareness-raising, empowerment, situational testing
Researchers (5)
| no. |
Code |
Name and surname |
Research area |
Role |
Period |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
28195 |
PhD Veronika Bajt |
Social sciences |
Head |
2019 - 2021 |
240 |
| 2. |
53338 |
Monika Bohinec |
Criminology and social work |
Technical associate |
2019 - 2021 |
8 |
| 3. |
03706 |
PhD Vlasta Jalušič |
Political science |
Researcher |
2019 - 2021 |
391 |
| 4. |
29686 |
PhD Iztok Šori |
Sociology |
Researcher |
2019 - 2021 |
207 |
| 5. |
31548 |
PhD Lana Zdravković |
Humanities |
Researcher |
2019 - 2021 |
254 |
Organisations (1)
| no. |
Code |
Research organisation |
City |
Registration number |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
0366 |
Peace Institute |
Ljubljana |
5498295000 |
3,571 |
Abstract
Reducing and eliminating discrimination based on ethnicity, 'race', nationality and/or religion
DEFINITION OF THE PROBLEM
Different definitions of discrimination exist, from general (social exclusion of individuals or groups) to legal (unequal treatment of an individual or group with respect to other individuals and groups on the basis of personal circumstances prohibited by law) and sociological definitions (a form of social practice derived from prejudices and stereotypes that are deeply rooted in the culture of a particular society, which results in formal or informal forms of segregation, marginalization or social exclusion of individuals or groups). In the Republic of Slovenia, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms is ensured by the Constitution and granted to everyone regardless of nationality, race, gender, language, religion, political or other belief, material status, birth, education, social status, disability or any other personal circumstance. Since the constitution protects against discrimination only formally, several laws have been adopted in recent years, and incitement to discrimination is punishable by the Penal Code.
Despite these legal bases, research data show that the level of discrimination in Slovenia is high. In order to deal with discrimination effectively, adequate research data is needed, yet – as pointed out by many international and European organizations, the lack of up-to-date information makes it particularly difficult to identify groups and individuals who are subject to discrimination. The reports especially highlight the problematic position of the Roma, the erased and the members of minorities from the former Yugoslavia, which confirms that the area of discrimination based on ethnic origin, "race", nationality and/or religion is one of the most relevant and sensitive issues for Slovenia. As a consequence, the creation of appropriate policies that should be derived from the data is also often hindered. Namely, there is a strong hesitation on the side of the authorities regarding the collection of disaggregated equality data for vulnerable groups due to the law on the protection of personal data. Therefore, the project addresses the following problem areas:
1. There is insufficient transparent, disaggregated and credible information on the existence of discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity, 'race', nationality and religion.
2. There are not enough proven cases of discrimination available.
3. It is necessary to empower experts and institutions to recognize and act against discrimination.
4. It is essential to continuously raise the awareness of the professional and general public.
AIMS
1) On the basis of a situation analysis from available resources to specify the areas of life which are more likely to spur discrimination based on ethnicity, nationality, "race" and/or religion, and to formulate a methodology for acquiring qualitative and quantitative data directly from persons with a personal circumstance of ethnicity, nationality, "race" and/or religion.
2) To carry out situational testing and other quantitative and qualitative methods of research, obtain quality data from the field and verify the existence of discrimination for persons with a personal circumstance of ethnicity, nationality, "race" and/or religion in the following areas of life: work and employment, social and health care, education, access to goods and services, access to housing.
3) To inform experts about the results of the research project and to empower them to draft proposals and measures to eliminate discrimination based on the personal circumstances of ethnicity, nationality, "race" and/or religion.
4) To inform the general public about the results of the research project and to empower people to recognize discrimination based on the personal circumstances of ethnicity, nationality, "race" and/or religion, as well as to act on individual level.
RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
The basic research activit
Significance for science
By means of its specific methodological approach and the acquired research results, the project will mainly contribute to the development of social sciences or sociology, specifically the field of national question, which is directly concerned with the issue of discrimination based on ethnicity, nationality, "race" and/or religion. In this field, a number of studies have been carried out in Slovenia, offering qualitative and quantitative insights into the reproduction of discrimination at the political, institutional and individual levels, and a considerable lack of attention is evident in the scientifically set situation analysis of discrimination in individual areas of life. The project will develop and implement its own methodology in this field, and will gain innovative research data that will enhance understanding of how individuals experience discrimination in their everyday life situations.
Although the proposed project is an oriented applicative project, its implementation will also help to reach a critical mass of researchers dealing with discrimination issues based on the personal circumstances of ethnicity, 'race', nationality and/or religion. On this basis, all aspects that have already been mentioned in point 17 (Suggestions for options and method of transfer of knowledge into practice) will be analyzed in depth. In-depth analysis will help to analyze more systematically the issues that remain open, either conceptually or in operational terms. To a certain extent, namely, the absence of systematic research has also partly contributed to the current situation where many stakeholders are not satisfied. Based on this project, as already mentioned in the description of the DS5 Work Package (Dissemination) and in point 16 (Expected results), scientific publications will also be created, which will undoubtedly contribute to the development of science and profession in this field.
Significance for the country
The existence of discrimination has negative consequences on all segments of society, including the economy. Unequal and hindered access to the labor market, which is based on the personal circumstances of an individual, prevents the full exploitation of all the potentials in society and restricts economic development. Discriminatory practices in companies negatively affect the satisfaction and sense of belonging of employees, as well as their productivity. Within the framework of the proposed project, we will discuss work and employment, social and health care, education, as well as access to goods and services among the areas of life where there is potential for discrimination. On the basis of research results, we will make recommendations and proposals for measures to eliminate discrimination in the area.
At the Peace Institute, we have been studying political extremism and violence since the 1990s. We have published several books on racism and populism in the context of the rise of ethnonationalism and retraditionalization in the Slovene and European areas. Among other things, we have problematized migration and asylum policies, thematized controversies of integration processes, multiculturalism and "securitization" of migrations, and studied the precarization and its impact on the inequality of migrants. The issue of ensuring equality in the labor market has been discussed by the work of the Peace Institute in the framework of various research and action projects, e. g. the MIGRASCOPE project: Enlarging the integration of migrants into the labor market (Head of MI team Dr. Lana Zdravković and researcher Dr. Veronika Bajt), in which we focused on how to make it easier for third-country nationals to gain access to the labor market. The interest in this topic is high, proven by a large number of participants at the workshops we organized, which were also intended for employers. We carried out quite a few projects in the field of education (e.g. GEAR: Global education and active citizenship for the protection of human rights, inclusion and democratic values ??in intercultural societies, head of MI team Dr. Veronika Bajt), which showed the risk of discrimination against immigrant children. In the framework of projects dealing with various minority and disadvantaged groups (e.g. Roma, Erased, migrants), the effects of discrimination on social and health care and access to goods and services, as well as many other areas, were also identified. All of this contributes to the fact that we know the topic of the proposed project well and we are aware of the importance of the project both for the economic and cultural development of the Republic of Slovenia.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2020
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
