Muslim Life in Germany - Deutsche Islam Konferenz

224 Aspects of Integration
entitling them to enter into higher education in their country of
origin are blue-collar workers, while 38 per cent are white-collar
workers and 16 per cent are self-employed. Differences also
apply according to country of origin and religion.
Various studies have shown that the occupational standing
of Germans and migrants can be explained in terms of the
levels of qualification. This does not apply to Turkish migrants,
however, who fail to reach a higher position at work despite possessing
the same educational level (Haug 2002; Granato/Kalter
2001; Kalter 2006; Kalter 2007). The human capital theory, according
to which those who possess the requisite school education
and vocational training (human capital) are able to attain
the same positions on the labour market, irrespective of their
ethnic origins, thus does not apply to Turkish migrants in this
case. Some authors see this as indicating an ‘ethnicised’ connotation
for a educational or vocational qualification (Seibert/Solga
2005). Surveys of employers also show that other aspects in
addition to qualifications play a role for them in the recruitment
of employees. Avoiding complications with fellow employees
or customers is also an important consideration. In this context,
shunning foreign trainees would be tantamount to an anticipatory
measure to avoid such conflicts and problems from the
outset (Imdorf 2008, 2009). Beyond institutionalised discrimination,
other factors also play a role in determining whether an
acquired qualification can be put to use on the labour market.
Kalter (2007) refers in this connection to an inadequate knowledge
of German and a lack of social networks among Turkish
migrants which could enable access to jobs.