Who Belongs? On the Depiction of Migration, Diversity, and Belonging in Textbooks

When? Tuesday, October 20, 2026 | 6:00–7:30 p.m.
Where? DeZIM_Saal, Mauerstrasse 76, 10117 Berlin

Textbooks and educational media not only convey subject-specific content but also shape perceptions of how a society views and describes itself, which perspectives are made visible, and who is regarded as belonging unquestionably or only under certain conditions.

This presentation outlines key findings from empirical research on the portrayal of migration, religious and ethnic diversity, and social distinctions in textbooks and teaching materials. Drawing on qualitative and quantitative analyses, it highlights the patterns found in the portrayal of migration and belonging:

Which groups are made visible, and which perspectives remain marginalized? What notions of normality, majority and minority, integration, and social participation do educational media convey?

It becomes clear that textbooks do not simply reflect social realities but are involved in the construction of knowledge systems and notions of belonging. The presentation provides an academic framework for current debates on anti-discriminatory perspectives in textbooks and teaching materials and highlights the potential of educational media for a reflective approach to diversity in schools and classrooms.

• Lecture: Prof. Dr. Riem Spielhaus is a professor of Islamic Studies specializing in education and cultures of knowledge at Georg-August University of Göttingen and director of the “Knowledge in Transition” department at the Leibniz Institute for Educational Media | Georg Eckert Institute. Her research focuses on representations of diversity and discrimination, perceptions of Islam and Muslims, and the portrayal of migration, religion, sexual orientation, and family models in curricula and textbooks. She is particularly interested in how religious and social identities are socially constructed and what role educational media play in this process.
• Commentary by: Prof. Dr. Maisha M. Auma, educational scientist and gender studies researcher. From 2008 to 2022, she was a professor of Childhood and Diversity Studies at Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences. She is the spokesperson for the Eastern Regional Network of the Knowledge Network for Racism Research (WinRa). Her research focuses on diversity, critical race theory, decoloniality, and intersectionality.
• Moderator: Dr. Cihan Sinanoğlu, Director of NaDiRa (National Discrimination and Racism Monitor)

Please register here by October 19: REGISTRATION

The NaDiRa Lecture Series is a public forum with rotating themes designed to foster discussion of fundamental and current contributions to racism research. With an eye toward the upcoming research focus of the National Discrimination and Racism Monitor (NaDiRa), this year’s series brings together renowned scholars in the fields of education research critical of discrimination and the sociology of education. Initially planned as a series of three lectures, the series focuses on current findings regarding educational inequalities, the institutional conditions that produce inequality, and anti-racist perspectives on schools, teaching, and educational materials.

Upcoming dates for the 2026 Lecture Series:

Wednesday, November 25, 2026 | 6:00 p.m.

Ethnic Educational Inequality in the School Context: On the Significance of Perceived Discrimination

With Prof. Dr. Claudia Diehl