Redistributing the cake? Ethnicisation processes in the Berlin food sector

The dynamics of the ethnical structurization of labour markets is an important research issue in the US since the early 1970s. The concepts developed in these debates especially that of enclave economies cannot be easily transferred into the European or German context. The reasons are major differences in the national production regimes as well as in migration systems and history. This paper sketches a framework for research that views economic activities of ethnic groups as integral parts of the overall economy and its dynamics. The latter is actually characterized by profound trends of restructuring. It is one of our central arguments that these developments show contradictory elements concerning social, cultural and spatial aspects. These highly contingent constellations open specific structures of economic opportunities for migrants/ethnic minorities; however, they are also associated with risks. On the basis of this conceptual framework, a detailed internationally comparative study is envisaged with the aim to analyse actual processes in the food industry of capital cities in Europe. First empirical indicators are given for one of the cities of the sample: Berlin.