A Framework for Identifying Local and Universal Symptoms of Emerging Structural Violence: A Case Study in Berlin

Berlin currently faces a housing crisis and is forced to use alternative modes of housing such as converted warehouse spaces for the large number of refugees that began arriving in 2015. While these solutions might prove effective as temporary facilities, the scarcity of housing availability has necessitated the utilization of these spaces on a more permanent basis. The adequacy of these unintentionally designed living environments is called into question.
Poor health often arises as a symptom of distress from inadequate housing. If the initial issue prompting illness is not addressed early enough, the health problems can accumulate and become a chronic disease burden that may impede the ability to work and access quality medical attention, only resulting in larger medical issues. Inadequate living spaces that are created by greater social structures, and house vulnerable or marginalized populations who are being afflicted by housing related illness, are a function of structural violence, a medical anthropological term. Using the temporary refugee housing in Berlin as a case study, this research forges a methodology to identify symptoms of emerging structural violence through qualitative data collected from interviews. Physical health disparities, such as anaphylaxis, weight loss and sleep deprivation, as well as mental health disparities such as a higher prevalence of PTSD and depression were most commonly observed and flagged as potential symptoms of emerging structural violence. If it is possible to identify local symptoms of emerging structural violence in a vulnerable space, it is easier to remedy the problem and mitigate greater future conflict.