HOW ADOLESCENTS IN GERMANY DESCRIBE, JUSTIFY, AND CRITICALLY REFLECT ON HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY ETHNIC STEREOTYPES

Abstract

Ethnic stereotypes in Germany remain a persistent challenge, shaped by history, migration, and everyday interactions. This exploratory qualitative study examines how 15 participants aged 11–20 describe, justify, and reflect on these biases. Participants took part in two semi-structured group interviews: six identified as native German, and nine as first-generation immigrants. Thematic analysis drew on theories of implicit and explicit bias, social identity, in-group favouritism, and authoritarian personality. Within this sample, participants morally rejected ethnic stereotypes while acknowledging their persistence through media representations, intergenerational transmission, and everyday interactions. The findings should not be interpreted as representative of adolescents in Germany as a whole.