Social dynamics and conflicts in the judicial system

As part of the nationwide InRa study “Institutions & Racism” at the Research Institute Social Cohesion, several subprojects are investigating the phenomenon of racism in institutions.

Led by Prof. Oliver Decker, the Leipzig subproject’s research team is investigating social dynamics and democratic resources within the institutions of the judicial system in Saxony. The study is part of the research conducted by the Else Frenkel-Brunswik Institute for Democracy Research in Saxony.

Subproject “Social dynamics and conflicts in the judicial system”

Recognising the prevalence of prejudices, resentments and ethnocentric attitudes among the German population, the project examines how far these attitudes are reflected in the thinking and behaviour of employees within institutions. There are currently no findings on the conditions under which racism and resentment guide behaviour in the judicial system.

The project aims to close this gap with a case study on Saxony and to provide information about the political culture of institutions within the judicial system. It examines how far certain institutional practices and norms are linked to racist ways of thinking, how authoritarian needs are promoted, and what ideas about society are formed in the process. Besides the system of law enforcement, the project also looks at public prosecutors’ offices and courts.

Group discussions with representatives of public authorities

The research project involves holding group discussions with representatives of public authorities, as well as reconstructing the meaning of these discussions. Group discussion studies have shown how prejudicial norms prevail in groups, but also how such hegemony can be challenged. The aim of the study is to identify both risk and protective factors, as well as possible and necessary interventions to counteract antidemocratic dynamics in the judicial system.

The InRa study “Institutions & Racism” is funded by the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Homeland (BMI) on the basis of a resolution by the German Bundestag.

Publications from the project

Gittner, N., Rodemerk, H. & Decker, O. (2024). Die sächsische Justiz und ihr Verhältnis zu antidemokratischen Tendenzen. EFBI Policy Paper 2024-1.

Gittner, N., Rodemerk, H. & Löw, N. (2024). Subjektives Handeln und institutionelle Praxen. Einblick in das Forschungsprojekt "Soziale Dynamiken und Konflikte in der Justiz". In: Demokratie in Sachsen. Jahrbuch des Else-Frenkel-Bunswik-Instituts für 2022, edited by Decker, O., Kalkstein, F. & Kiess, J., pp. 89-105. Leipzig: Edition Überland.