The Gender Studies unit at the Department of Sociology, Freie Universität Berlin, is pleased to announce the official launch of the interdisciplinary research project DEVGAV – Discrimination, Emotions, and Consumer Behavior. The project is a collaboration between Freie Universität Berlin and ConPolicy – Institute for Consumer Policy, and is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection (BMJV).

DEVGAV addresses the realities of discrimination in everyday consumer experiences, which often unfold along dimensions such as gender, age, origin, and disability. These experiences can be emotionally distressing and have lasting effects on consumer behavior. For the first time in Germany, DEVGAV aims to systematically investigate these interrelations.

At Freie Universität Berlin, the project is led by Dr. Matthias Schneider (Scientific Director) and Friederike Rosenbaum. The team at ConPolicy includes Christian Thorun, Marlene Laura Münsch, Dr. Julius Rauber, and Sophia Dasch. The project runs from May 2025 to April 2027.

DEVGAV will generate empirical insights and develop practice-oriented strategies for an emotion-informed and discrimination-sensitive approach to consumer protection. The project also raises the broader question of how to shape a more just and inclusive consumer policy in the future.

For more information, please visit the official project page: https://www.conpolicy.de/en/project/discrimination-emotions-and-consumer-behavior-devgav