The Berlin State Anti-Discrimination Act (Landesantidiskriminierungsgesetz Berlin, LADG) takes legislative action against social inequality and treats it not only as a result of discrimination but also as its own category that is a source of discrimination itself. Social status refers to the way individuals are positioned within a system of societal hierarchies and rankings that have evolved over time and are deeply embedded in social structures. Social status is a subjective role that is imposed upon someone. It is not just “inherited” (though aspects of it can be); an individual’s social status is ascribed to them by external societal structures and cannot be self-determined or simply changed at will by the individual themselves.

A range of factors determine a person’s social status. They are often socioeconomic in nature and include income, poverty, debt, level of education, illiteracy, employment status, career, clothing, living situation, physical appearance, and much more. The term “social background” is sometimes used synonymously with “social status” or “class.” Indeed, an individual’s social background – in particular their familial background and financial status – has been shown to greatly influence their access to education and culture.

For this reason, some measures aimed at dismantling structural discrimination are targeted toward “first-generation” students, i.e., students who are among the first in their family to go to college or university. However, a person’s educational background or social background does not necessarily determine their social status. Other aspects such as family structure (e.g., single-parent household), discrimination (e.g., racism), and residency status (e.g., refugee status) also affect a person’s social status.

The language in which education is conducted – particularly relevant for university life – is also closely tied to social status. In formal education in Germany, there are expectations surrounding how language should be used. The ability to communicate in a certain way is considered the key to academic success and often determines whether an individual is granted access to higher education. Linguistic barriers to education exist not only for people for whom German is not a first language, but also for those who do not or cannot easily communicate in this specific way due to their social or educational background (see the dimension “Language” for more information).

A university cannot redress all social inequalities, nor can it completely offset exclusionary aspects of the educational system as a whole. However, Freie Universität Berlin is committed to contributing toward dismantling social inequality through its research and teaching, as well as by taking a critical look at its own role in perpetuating inequality. The university aims to create an environment for teaching, studying, and working in which everyone feels safe and respected, where they know they can play an active role in university life and further develop themselves through equitable participation. This means providing support whenever discrimination occurs on an individual level as well as implementing sustainable structural measures to promote equal opportunities for everyone.

In addition to the university’s overarching diversity goals, which take social status as a dimension of diversity into account, Freie Universität Berlin has committed itself to the goal of dismantling institutional and linguistic barriers for students and potential students with diverse educational backgrounds, particularly when it comes to making the transition to university. In doing so, it has set the following objectives (and measures for achieving them):

• With regard to social status the university’s needs and scope for action have been identified and are taken into account.
• Questions regarding structural inequality and social status are discussed openly at the university and from an intersectional perspective.
• Students and potential students with diverse educational backgrounds have easy access to information about studying at Freie Universität.

Freie Universität Berlin also actively contributes to academic research on the subject of structural inequality, including the relation between inequality and access to education.