Main topic

This project aims to promote dialogue between practitioners and academics by developing a Practical Guide Social Psychology on Refuge and Integration. The objective is the development of a free of charge, openly available practical guidebook in print and PDF format that can be used by practitioners and volunteers as a source of information, inspiration, and reference. The practical guidebook increases the availability of evidence-based recommendations that promote peaceful social relations and societies. The publication of the practical guidebook ensures the transfer between research and relevant areas of practice, which facilitates the handling of challenges in everyday life and work in the context of refuge and integration. At the same time, it strengthens the visibility of social psychological research in the field of refuge and integration based on the long-standing commitment of the Expert Network for Social Psychology on Refuge and Integration (https://www.fachnetzflucht.de/), which is well recognized within the scientific community. The handbook is based on articles from the Network’s Magazine, which the editors have acquired, edited, and published online over the past years. In these articles, researchers from the field of social psychology answer specific questions from practitioners that were collected at conferences, through personal communication, and in surveys. The articles for the Magazine were written with the aim of addressing the practical challenges of migration and integration based on evidence, using insights from social psychological theories and models of related phenomena and intervention approaches. All articles for the practical guidebook will be updated and re-edited with the help of their original authors to incorporate current research trends and findings.

The practical guidebook is divided into the three sections “Shaping social cohesion and building bridges,” “Empowering refugees,” and “Promoting sustainable engagement.” The guidebook will cover selected articles that address relevant challenges in the day-to-day work with refugees, local residents, professionals, and volunteers and provide well-founded answers from a (social) psychological perspective. The integration of articles along a clear structure makes relevant information more accessible to professionals and volunteers. The practical guidebook will be sent by post or email to relevant institutions, practitioners, and multipliers. These include refugee support facilities, civil society organizations, associations, community spaces, and educational institutions. In an online release event, the editors and invited authors will present the practical guidebook and discuss interfaces and recommendations for work in the context of refuge and integration with actors from politics and practice.