Classism

Classism is the discrimination of people due to their (alleged) education and economic and social background. This discrimination affects people who are perceived as being poor or uneducated due to their clothing, their behavior or their knowledge. The affected people are stigmatized, ostracized and excluded from accessing resources in society.

Classism is often connected to other types of diversity (see intersectionality), for example racism: having English or French as a second language is seen as an admirable skill, while having Turkish or Polish as a second language is looked down upon or ignored altogether. Furthermore, the claim that poverty is not a reason to migrate demonstrates that racism and classism are closely entangled.

Especially in higher education, people from lower classes encounter certain hurdles and challenges due to their social background and education. Usually these are students who are the first in their family to study at a university or who come to university after second chance education. This is why FAU also takes social background and education into account within the context of its diversity strategy. Information about networking, events and specific strategies at FAU.

Sources: IDA-NRW; Amadeu Antonio Foundation