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Gender roles among Christian and Muslim Germans and immigrants ,
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This research project was implemented on behalf of the German Islam Conference (Deutsche Islam Konferenz - DIK) within the group of topics on "Living out gender equality as a shared value".
The primary focus of the study targeted a detailed investigation of general roles among various groups of individuals in Germany, particular consideration being given to persons of different religious affiliation and origin. To this end, a representative survey was carried out among a total of more than 3,000 Muslims and Christians from selected countries of origin. This permitted an estimation to be made for the first time as how widespread gender role models are in reality which may place women at a disadvantage.
The research issues
The following research questions were fundamental to this survey:
- To what extent do persons of Muslim or Christian faith with a migration background and Germans without a migration background differ as to gender roles in practice and in their orientations towards gender roles?
- Is it possible to explain the (possible) differences in gender roles better through religious affiliation, religiousness, aspects related to the country of origin or other factors?
- Are there changes in practical images of gender roles and orientations towards gender roles depending on the generation to which a person belongs?
- Is there dissatisfaction within the groups surveyed with the practical gender role models resulting in a desire for change?
- Is there, with individuals who have different migration backgrounds, a link between the gender roles and the state of integration?
- What influence is exerted by education on orientations towards gender roles and on gender roles in practice?
The survey
The survey was carried out by an external research institute, using standardised telephone interviews. The questionnaires, which were drawn up by the research group at the Federal Office, were also translated into twelve different languages of origin.
Three groups were surveyed, persons of both genders aged 16 and above constituting the target group.
Group A: Muslims with a migration background
1,957 persons of Muslim faith were surveyed who themselves came or whose parents came from countries of origin which are predominantly Muslim. Emphasis was placed on a broad spread over the most important countries of origin in order to do justice to the heterogeneous nature of the group of individuals. Countries were selected which account for a relevant share of the population with a migration background in Germany (Turkey, countries of the former Yugoslavia, North Africa, the Near East, Iran, etc.), as were countries in which the Muslim population does not form a majority.
Group B: Christians with a migration background
842 persons who were of Christian faith were surveyed as comparison groups who themselves came or whose parents came from countries of origin which are predominantly Christian (Poland, Romania, Italy).
Group C: Christians without a migration background
237 persons aged from 16 upwards from the German residential population without a migration background were surveyed as a further comparison group.
Main results
The main results show that gender equality is a deeply entrenched value. The views held on the roles which women and men should assume both in the household and at work however certainly vary widely. Factors related to religion do not provide a method to explain different gender roles, whilst socioeconomic ones do.
The detailed results can be found in research report 21 “Gender roles among Christian and Muslim Germans and immigrants”. You can download both the research report, as well as the method report on the survey, in the right-hand column at “Download”.