Prevention of group-focused enmity in German school curricula: a systematic content analysis

• In Event: School, sports and crime prevention

Abstract

While group-focused enmity (GFE) is widely recognised as a societal challenge, its prevention in formal education remains underexplored. This study systematically analyses the presence of GFE-related topics in school curricula across all 16 German federal states. Using a novel dataset of nearly 2,500 curriculum documents valid for the school year 2024/25, we investigate how and to what extent curricula address issues such as racism, antisemitism, xenophobia, homophobia and other forms of discriminatory attitudes.

The methodological approach follows a qualitative content analysis, combining deductive and inductive coding to capture the complexity of curricular representations of GFE. Variations across federal states, school subjects and grade levels are examined, distinguishing between explicit and implicit references to GFE-related themes. Particular attention is given to the interplay between interdisciplinary educational objectives and subject-specific curricula, as well as to the balance between cognitive, affective and behavioural learning outcomes.

Preliminary findings indicate significant disparities in the integration of GFE-related content, both in terms of scope and conceptual framing. While some curricula embed these topics comprehensively, others display fragmented or superficial approaches. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of how school education shapes societal attitudes towards marginalised groups. The study provides an empirical basis for discussions on the role of formal education in countering discrimination and fostering inclusive democratic values. Furthermore, the findings offer practical recommendations for curriculum development globally and establish new avenues for research on educational strategies to prevent GFE.

Authors

• Tihomir Vrdoljak, German Police University

• Julia Hagen, State Agency for Civic Education Baden-Wuerttemberg