Participatory social space research involving refugee populations from a Social Work perspective. Methodical considerations and experiences of supporting and inhibiting factors

For persons who have experienced flight and immigration, not unlike for other population groups, the local level is the key site for their (social) participation. After all, it is chiefly the extant conditions and resources in a given locality that shape both newcomers' integration into the pertaining social and cultural activities as well as the availability and/or utilization of the general infrastructure and social services, respectively. Socio-spatial analysis is hence ever more important for refugee integration work, so as to ascertain migrants' respective practices and needs at the local level. This paper focuses on participatory methods in the field of social space research as well as on the methods' theoretical foundation with regard to (forced) migrants and immigrants. Two project examples inform the (concluding) methodical reflection of the research process.