REPCHANCE – Supportive components of minority representation
With additional support from the Robert Bosch Foundation, Mercator Foundation Switzerland and Porticus, comparable projects were started in Switzerland (University of Neuchâtel, PI: Gianni D’Amato), the Netherlands (University of Amsterdam, PI: Liza Mügge), Spain and the United Kingdom (Sciences Po, PI: Laura Morales) in fall 2022. The research network is coordinated by the German project team at the Munich University of Applied Sciences.
Introduction
Society is diverse and consists of people with multiple backgrounds so it could be assumed that political representation should also represent this diversity. But oftentimes parliaments are lacking that diversity and therefore the potential of bringing more diverse opinions and standpoints into the process of policy making.
That is why it is all the more important to take a closer look at cases in which people with a migration history have a mandate and, above all, to ask what factors contributed to their success. That is what REPCHANCE intends to do on a level across different nations.
Data and method
REPCHANCE applies a mixed methods approach: qualitative and quantitative elements are considered complementary for getting a better picture pertaining to our research question, the triggers for success. Interviews at different political levels are used to reconstruct the individual path into politics including picking out several aspects (e.g. supportive factors, obstacles). Yet, interviewees are also asked to review their career and give advice both on an individual and on a structural level.
The data bases of REPCHANCE are publicly accessible information (through parliaments, parties, personal websites and various media), in-depth personal interviews, and specific information about programs collected in a short (drop-off) questionnaire. This data will not only allow us to analyze individual career paths, but also to provide up-to-date information on parliamentary representation on state levels, and to draw conclusions pertaining to the patterns of minority representation as well as the factors and triggers behind it.
More information on REPCHANCE international will follow soon.