Research Project „Under Pressure: Literacy and Discrimination“ starts!

1 July 2025

Photo: UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning

The research project „Under Pressure: Literacy and Discrimination“ in cooperation witht the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) has successfully launched with a kick-off event!

The research team consisting of LiDS members Prof Dr Carla Bohndick, Prof Dr Anke Grotlüschen, Prof Dr Claudia Kulmus, Prof Dr Tanja Sturm as well as Dr Isabell Kempf, Dr Rakhat Zholdoshalieva and Dr Paul Stanistreet from the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning investigates the specific mechanisms of discrimination in relation to literacy.

Literacy and written language affect all segments of lifelong learning (e.g. school, higher education, adult education). Diversity in written language, e.g. in connection with multilingualism, low school education, higher age, social class and/or disability, continues to reduce opportunities for participation in education, work and life. The project investigates literacy-specific discrimination and disadvantages using data sets

from the Programme for the International Assessment of Adults (PIAAC) collected in 2023 as well as qualitative surveys on discrimination and disadvantages in the context of acquiring and living with low literacy in the education system. Literacy is being researched in conjunction with ableism, classism, linguicism and ageism. The planned follow-up project in the form of a research group will focus on protective structures against literacy-related discrimination in the education system. Thanks to the funding by the BWFGB as part of the Landesforschungsförderung Hamburg, deep insights into literacy-related discrimination are now enabled.

LiDS is looking forward to the findings and developments that will emerge from this project!

Funded by the BWFGB as part of the Landesforschungsförderung Hamburg