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Our University - Our Responsibility!

We stand for a diverse and respectful university

With the "Our university - our responsibility" campaign, we aim to raise awareness toward violence and discrimination in everyday university life, oppose them and make counseling services more widely known. 

The University of Lübeck sees itself as a diverse place and is committed (see also our diversity profile and diversity strategy pages)to reducing discrimination and facilitating equal participation of all. Certain structures at universities, which have often evolved over time, encourage discrimination. This campaign aims to name these and counteract them.

Not only individuals will benefit from a low-discrimination environment, but also the entire university, since innovations thrive in environments rich in perspective and respect, and diverse teams can boost potential and achieve better results.

From specific surveys regarding discrimination experiences and semester evaluations among students, we know that discrimination is experienced in various categories at the University of Lübeck.

Furthermore, the University of Lübeck was also one of 46 institutions to take part in the Europe-wide UniSAFE study. This aimed to investigate gender-based discrimination and violence at research institutions and to develop countermeasures. 258 UzL students and 225 employees took part in 2022, with the following results:

  • ·        - All groups are affected, but women statistically significantly more than men (63% vs. 49%).
  • ·        - Subtle forms of violence predominate (psychological violence: 53%).
  • ·        - Sexual harassment: 23%; physical violence: 3%, and sexual violence: 1% were also reported.
  • ·        - Incidents often occur in familiar surroundings and in power imbalances.
  • ·        - Those affected rarely report them, often out of insecurity.
  • ·        - Despite all this, 21% of respondents stated that they believed that the UzL had no problems with  gender-based violence.

The campaign is part of the BMBF-funded project "Vielfalt an deutschen Hochschulen" and was developed by the university's UniSAFE working group. Further information can be found on the UniSAFE website and the website of the HRK initiative "Vielfalt an deutschen Hochschulen".

Design

The designs on the posters each represent a context relevant to higher education: abuse of power, gender-based violence, sexism, language and hate speech, culture of silence, discrimination. We want to inform, raise awareness and support those affected.

If you would like to order postcards, posters, stickers or social media templates free of charge, please contact: annalena.luther (at) uni-luebeck.de.

Discrimination

Discrimination means the disadvantaging of people in connection with certain characteristics such as gender, skin color, ethnic or social origin, age, disability, language, religion, ideology, political or other beliefs, membership of a national minority, sexual orientation. These characteristics are ascribed a meaning without objective justification that either includes people in a group or excludes them from a group in connection with one or more of these characteristics.

Discrimination is always the result of socially established structures. It should therefore not be viewed exclusively as an individual behavior, but is typically embedded in an historically evolved context. Discrimination often occurs unintentionally. However, it is always the effect on the person(s) and not the intention that is decisive. It is important to be aware that everyone, regardless of their personal situation, can experience discrimination in certain contexts, but can also discriminate themselves.

Abuse of Power

Asymmetrical distribution of power and dependent relationships increase the risk of violence. In the academic system, people in examination and assessment situations such as students, trainees, doctoral candidates, temporary employees, but also people with unsecured residence status or less knowledge of the system are most affected. This contrasts with the strong bundling of decision-making powers regarding the management of human resources. The interactions between power imbalances, discrimination and sexism are manifold and take many different forms For instance, the imbalance of high performance pressure and insufficient basic funding of universities may lead to overwork. The open letter "Professors against abuse of power" discusses the topic publicly.

What can I do...

...if another person is affected

       - Speak to the person concerned and ask whether they need support and what kind of support they would like.
    - This also means acknowledging if no support is wanted.
    - Show openness in talking about discrimination.
    - Acknowledge what is reported to you and do not question the experience. This is especially true if you were involved in the discrimination yourself.
    - Leave your own feelings and opinions out in order to give the person(s) affected space.
    - Offer to accompany the person(s) to a counseling center, e.g. the anti-discrimination office of the University of Lübeck.
    - In an acutely threatening situation, you can and should call the police.

Contact points at and around the University of Lübeck can be found on the so called Notfallkarte. It is also possible to report incidents anonymously.

What can I do...

...if I am affected myself

- Talk to people you trust about the incident(s)
- Document the situation(s) (e.g. create a memory log, collect documents, emails, etc.)
- Speak to people who witnessed the incident and who may be able to testify to it
- Contact superiors or teachers whom you trust
- Contact a counseling center, e.g., the anti-discrimination office of the University of Lübeck
- If what you have experienced is weighing on you or you can no longer let go, make an appointment with a psychosocial counseling center.
- In an acutely threatening situation, you can and should call the police. 

You can find contact points at and around the University of Lübeck on the Notfallkarte. It is also possible to report incidents anonymously.

Sexism

Sexism refers to the individual and structural discrimination of people based on their gender. This includes all forms of devaluation, discrimination or exclusion of people based on their gender. These are often perpetuated and encouraged by stereotypical role models and prejudices. At universities, examples of individual sexism range from derogatory remarks or jokes to physical sexist acts. Institutional or structural sexism can play a role at universities, for example, when it comes to appointments to (management) positions, parental leave or salaries. Sexism is usually directed against women or against people who do not conform to the binary gender norm.

The University of Lübeck is part of the alliance "Gemeinsam gegen Sexismus". The aim of the alliance is to recognize sexism and sexual harassment, to take a closer look and to show how we can work together to counteract it.

Sexualized violence

Sexualized discrimination and violence is any psychological, physical or verbal behavior with a sexual reference that is perceived by the person concerned as transgressive, i.e. undesirable and degrading/injurious, or is aimed at achieving this effect. Sexualized discrimination and violence is a specific form of exercising and abusing power and control and has nothing to do with sexuality as a fundamentally positive event. Perpetrators do not (only) act out of a sexual intention and are not interested in consensual sexual contact. Instead, perpetrators use sexual and sexually connoted statements and actions to exert power. Sexual Discrimination can also occur unintentionally and unnoticed by the perpetrator if the perpetrator is not sensitive to other people's boundaries. When a boundary is crossed depends on the perspective of the affected person. 

Counseling

The core of the Anti-Discrimination Office's counseling concept is that we oppose a culture of silence in cases of assault and discriminatory, offensive or unfair behavior. The Anti-Discrimination Office supports those who experience discrimination without reservations.

Our advice is completely confidential. You can also contact us if you are unable or not yet able to classify what you have experienced. It is often helpful to seek help at an early stage and to provide your own guidance. In general, counselors at the University of Lübeck are committed to a respectful and appreciative attitude towards those seeking advice and are subject to a duty of confidentiality. The person seeking advice decides for themselves what they wish to disclose about themselves and their counseling concerns.

People seeking advice are supported in obtaining relevant information, finding resources and developing solution strategies. If the person seeking advice is personally affected or too close to the person providing advice, the person seeking advice is informed and the advice is delegated to a suitable other person or advice center. The limits of what the person seeking advice wishes to disclose about themselves or their counseling concerns are binding for the counselor. Possible solutions, structures and boundaries are made transparent to those seeking advice by the person providing the advice.

In the course of anti-discrimination counseling, it may turn out that a formal complaints procedure under the General Equal Treatment Act is desired or advisable.

In the course of anti-discrimination counseling, it may turn out that a formal complaints procedure under the General Equal Treatment Act is desired or advisable. The AGG Complaints Office would then be responsible. How such a procedure can work can be read here: exemplary AGG complaints procedure.

Culture of silence

A culture of silence means that certain topics such as sexualized violence or discrimination are not discussed. A culture of silence means that those affected by sexualized violence do not dare to raise the issue with others or even in public. It also means that these issues are not perceived by others at all and those affected feel left alone with their experiences. A culture of silence protects the perpetrators and contributes to the perpetuation of discrimination, abuse and violence. At universities, a culture of silence can refer to the fact that sexist behavior by members of the university is not addressed and that people affected by discrimination or sexualized violence are not listened to. A culture of silence also means that discrimination is actively ignored and not named, meaning that those affected are not supported. 

 

 

Language and Hate Speech

Violence does not begin with physical assault. Threats, insults, humiliation, and/or teasing often in the form of supposed jokes, are widespread and often subtle enough not to be immediately recognized as violence. If verbal violence is used on the internet to belittle, exclude and/or insult people, this is hate speech. If this is based on an actual or ascribed group characteristic (e.g. gender, skin color), it is also referred to as group-focused misanthropy. Verbal violence is dangerous because it can hurt and intimidate those affected, damage the climate of discussion, and can also unsettle a large number of people via the internet and perpetrators can act with increasing disinhibition. Respectful treatment also means addressing people by their chosen name, avoiding discriminatory terms, and using sensitive language so as not to hurt others. 

Discrimination and Abusive Behavior

Discrimination can take different forms. Sometimes they are not easy to recognize as such. What they all have in common is that the discriminatory characteristic is worthy of protection. The inadmissibility of discrimination on the basis of characteristics worthy of protection is laid down in the  Grundgesetz (Art. 3) and in the Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz.

Discrimination can occur either directly in personal contact with others (direct discrimination) or indirectly when regulations or decisions put a particular group at a disadvantage (indirect discrimination). People can also be affected by different categories of discrimination. For people who are affected by discrimination, these experiences mean individual violations of their dignity, lead to (chronic) stress and considerable restrictions on participation. Those affected are often blamed for the discriminatory situation, the experience is devalued or ridiculed. This can lead to those affected thinking long and hard about whether, when and to whom they should report the discrimination.

The following questions help to classify incidents as discrimination:

1. Does a disadvantage arise?

2. Is the disadvantage based on a protected characteristic?

3. Is there an objective justification for the disadvantage?

An objective justification is, for example, the protection of minors when serving alcoholic beverages or, at the university, so called Nachteilsausgleiche or programs for the advancement of women. 

Direct discrimination

  •     - A colleague experiences insulting remarks or inappropriate comments because of their sexual identity, e.g. in a work meeting.
  •     - A female student is disadvantaged in exams because of her skin color and has less chance of getting a good grade.
  •     - An employee is devalued because of her gender and is denied a promotion, even though she meets the required qualifications.

Indirect discrimination

  •     - Employees without German language skills are excluded from research projects because, in the opinion of the project group, they would slow down the process.
  •     - In medical teaching, the effects of diseases on different skin tones or genders are not taken into account.
  •     - Students in wheelchairs are generally unable to take part in events in a particular lecture hall as it is not accessible to them. The remodelling is not done because it would be too expensive.

Sexualized discrimination

What assaultive behavior or actions have in common is the sexual or sexually connoted reference that emanates unilaterally from one person and is perceived by the other person as transgressive, unpleasant, inappropriate, hurtful or degrading, e.g. obscene remarks, sexual harassment, but also unsolicited double room bookings on business trips or invitations to private apartments to discuss exam results. The bukof commission's online handout "Sexualized discrimination and violence at universities" offers many points of reference and examples.

Who is behind the campaign?

The campaign is a project of the UniSafe-AG with members from administration, academia and the student body as part of the HRK initiative Vielfalt an deutschen Hochschulen. Graphics and design by Eva-Maria Birkhoff and Alexandra Klenke-Struve.