Soiled Identities: Anti-Foreigner Political Violence, Structural Location and Social Action in Contemporary Germany

• Published in: Canadian journal of sociology Vol. 20; no. 2; pp. 227 - 244
• Main Author: Schmid, Carol
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Edmonton, AB University of Alberta 01.04.1995; University of Alberta Library
• Subjects: Asylum seekers; Conservatism; Cultures and civilizations; Ethnic relations. Racism; Federal Republic of Germany; Foreigners; Germany; Identity; Intolerance; Nationalism; Nazism; Political attitudes; Political Violence; Race relations; Racism; Research Note/Note de recherche; Right Wing Politics; Sexual violence; Skinhead culture; Social Action; Social conditions & trends; Sociology; Violence; Violent extremism; Xenophobia; Germany DR; Germany FR; Germany; Socio-Economic Factor; Social behavior; Reunification; Violence; Immigration; Political Violence; Youth; Political Refugee; Far Right; Racism; Xenophobia
• ISSN: 0318-6431; 1710-1123
• DOI: 10.2307/3341006

This article explores the reasons behind the recent outbreak of anti-foreigner violence in contemporary Germany. Intolerance of foreigners has been one of the major issues of German politics since reunification. The specific focus of this article is on the motivation, attitudes, and goals of the actors in addition to strains within the system. In contrast to functionalist theory which views anti-foreigner violence as primarily related to modernization, dislocation, marginality, and targeting of scapegoats, the social action perspective presented here takes into account more subtle interaction between structural location and social action. The first section documents short term strain factors since unification. The second section analyzes interviews with participants involved in antiforeigner violence and recent opinion polls in eastern and western Germany. Finally, the advantages of a social action perspective in order to understand the recent rise of antiforeigner violence is discussed.