Living Inequality: Students of Development Studies from the Global South, the Low-Wage Sector in Germany, and Racism

Rather than only learning about inequality in the development studies classroom, students of colour from the Global South studying in the Global North also live it outside of university. This paper explores to what extent students experience racism in the low-wage sector in German to reflect on consequences for development studies programmes. It provides evidence of how students experience the interrelationship of bordering/migration regimes, exploitation in the low-wage sector, and everyday racism. The exploration finds that students face everyday racism both physically and emotionally. Second, they witness racialisation in the segmentation of the workforce. Third, they live racialised inequality through jobs that do not conform to their level of education or class position in their homelands. Recognising their students’ racialised experiences outside the university calls for development studies programmes to centre engagements on race, to focus on the relationship between racism and socioeconomic processes in the Global North, and to assume an antiracist responsibility towards students.