A Crisis of Social Recognition? Findings from a Population Survey on Everyday-Life Experiences of Appreciation and Disrespect in Germany

Abstract

The article at hand presents evidence on the extent, stratification and consequences of individual experiences of social appreciation and disrespect in Germany based on data from the Innovation Sample of the Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP-IS 2016). Conceptually, we draw on assumption from social theory and public discourse, claiming that prevailing disrespect is associated with social ills and societal conflicts. In this context, we focus on three social divisions, which are widely seen as most relevant for contemporary German society: the socioeconomic stratification of (1) social classes as well as sociocultural differences between (2) East and West Germany and (3) migrants and non-migrants. The empirical findings reveal that overall people in Germany experience high levels of appreciation, especially in private contexts such as the family. The workplace, on the other hand, turns out to be a relatively ambivalent context characterized by both appreciation and disrespect. While we find a clear class gap in how people feel rated by others (especially according to income, educational level and employment status), there are no significant differences between East and West Germans or between migrants and non-migrants. Finally, feelings of appreciation and disrespect strongly influence personal life satisfaction and satisfaction with democracy; however, these feelings only partly explain why lower social classes are less satisfied and not at all why East Germans are less satisfied. In conclusion, our findings strongly suggest that for a sociological understanding of social appreciation and disrespect in contemporary German society, issues of vertical inequality are much more important than sociocultural affiliations.