REVUE EUROPEENNE DES MIGRATIONS INTERNATIONALES

France (Poitiers) 30

1998 - VOLUME 14, NUMBER 2

Migrants and Ethnic Minorities in the European Political Space

Coordination: Marco MARTINIELLO and Marie-Antoinette HILY

99.30.1 - French - Vincent GEISSER and Schérazade KELFAOUI, Institut de Recherche sur le Maghreb Contemporain, Tunis (Tunisia)

Maghrebian identity in the French political system (Tabous et enjeux autour de l'ethnicité maghrébine dans le système politique français) (p. 19-32)

The political and electoral participation of French citizens of Maghrebian origin has long been considered by social scientists in terms of their ability and merits. The main concern has been to evaluate scientifically their ability to become 'good French citizens' who respect democratic values. Most studies, being informed by the republican ideology of integration, fail to link ethnicity with politics or do so on a dramatic note. The authors avoid the current debates, which pit multiculturalist and nationalist sociologists against each other, by analysing associational and political mobilization among Maghrebian origin populations over the last 15 years. To this end, they examine various domains of action and justification. At the same time, they stress the importance of ethnicity, as much for elites and leaders who have emerged from Maghrebian immigration as for public institutions. Particularistic and universalistic spheres are therefore not in conflict, but give instead rise to 'new combinations' of political legitimacy at both local and national levels. (FRANCE, NORTHERN AFRICA, IMMIGRATION, POLITICS, ETHNICITY, MIGRANT ASSIMILATION)

99.30.2 - English - Andrew GEDDES, School of Politics and Communication Studies, University of Liverpool, Liverpool (U.K.)

Race related political participation and representation in the UK (p. 33-49)

This article explores political participation by and political representation of ethnic minorities in contemporary British politics. It adopts an institutionalist perspective to examine the ways in which a 'race related' frame for political action has configured debates about levels of representation on local councils and in the House of Commons. It explores the implications of the 'race related' framing of these debates and argues that the connection made between the size of the ethnic minority population in a particular area and the relative importance of increased representation has offered some opportunities for increased representation, but has also constrainted future increases in representation by territorially delimiting their scope. (UNITED KINGDOM, ETHNIC MINORITIES, RACES, MIGRANT ASSIMILATION, POLITICS)

99.30.3 - English - Shamit SAGGAR, Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London, London (U.K.)

British south Asian elites and political participation: Testing the cultural thesis (p. 51-69)

The article examines the arguments and evidence surrounding the debate over the political importance of ethnic minorities in the British political system and focuses especially on the political participation of the Britain's 1.5 million South Asians. Drawing on fresh and original evidence provided by the 1997 British Election study, the article describes the board characteristics of Asian electoral involvement, highlighting several lines of comparison between Asian and other ethnic minority groups as well as within the diverse Asian population. Thereafter the article turns to look at the specific role played by Asian political and non-political elites both in setting and responding to the terms of the evaluative debate over the importance of Asian electoral-based participation. Finally, the paper puts forward a discussion of Asian participation in the context ideological developments within the major political parties. This discussion effectively reopens the question of Asian political distinctiveness and in particular the debate over the role of Asian cultural values in shaping political attitudes and patterns of behaviour. (UNITED KINGDOM, INDIA, PAKISTAN, ETHNIC MINORITIES, MIGRANT ASSIMILATION, POLITICS)

99.30.4 - English - Jean TILLIE, Insitute for Migration and Ethnic Studies (IMES), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (Netherlands)

Explaining migrant voting behaviour in the Netherlands. Combining the electoral research and ethnic studies perspective (p. 71-95)

This paper explains migrant voting behaviour in Dutch municipal elections. To answer the question, theoretical perspectives from the field of electoral studies and perspectives developed in the field of ethnic studies are combined. One of the conclusions of the paper is that migrants combine, in their voting behaviour, either an 'ethnic identity' with an ideological orientation or an 'anti-racist' identity with ideological party preferences. (NETHERLANDS, IMMIGRANTS, ETHNICITY, MIGRANT ASSIMILATION, POLITICS)

99.30.5 - French - Brieuc-Yves CADAT, Noordhollands Participatie Instituut (NPI), Centrum voor ondersteuning van maatschappelijke initiatieven, Kleine Houtweg 32-2012 CD Haarlem (Netherlands), and Meindert FENNEMA, Institute for Migration and Ethnic Studies (IMES), O.Z. Achterburgwal 237, 1012 DL Amsterdam (Netherlands)

E-mail: cadat@npi-nh.nl ; fennema@pscw.uva.nl

Migrant politicians in Amsterdam: Self image and image of others (Les hommes politiques issus de l'immigration à Amsterdam : image de soi, image des autres) (p. 97-121)

How to understand the formation of ethnic and anti-racist identities and the relationship between these identities and political strategies? Based on interviews with 29 migrant politicians, candidates or elected politicians, in 1990 and 1994, the article answers the questions. The Turkish politicians argue predominantly from an 'ethnic perspective'. Surinamese and Antillean politicians, on the other hand, tend to argue from an 'anti-racist' perspective. Moroccans take an intermediate position. The self-images of these three groups were reflected in the image they had of each other. These rival images suggest potential conflict in the existing advocacy coalition of migrant politicians. (NETHERLANDS, IMMIGRANTS, MIGRANT ASSIMILATION, POLITICS, SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY)

99.30.6 - French - Marco MARTINIELLO, Centre d'Etudes de l'Ethnicité et des Migrations (CEDEM), bâtiment 31, boîte 38, 7, boulevard du Rectorat, 4000 Liège-Sart-Tilman (Belgium)

Foreign origin elected politicians in Brussels: A new phase of the political participation of the immigrant origin population (Les élus d'origine étrangère à Bruxelles : une nouvelle étape de la participation politique des populations d'origine immigrée) (p. 123-149)

The article examines the issues of the representation of immigrant origin population and of foreign origin elected politicians in both the 19 local councils and the regional Parliament of Brussels. The first part presents the main features of the social and political contexts in which these issues have emerged. The second part analyses the representation of immigrant origin population from a quantitative perspective and discusses the methodological problems encountered in this type of research. The third part is based on in-depth interviews with Moroccan and Tunisian origin elected politicians. Their sociological profile is presented and their political career reconstructed in order to understand how they see their role and their position within the Belgian political system as well as in relation to immigrant origin population. The conclusion deals with some possible developments as to the political incorporation in a rapidly changing Belgian society. (BELGIUM, CAPITAL CITY, IMMIGRANTS, MIGRANT ASSIMILATION, POLITICS)

99.30.7 - French - Hassan BOUSETTA, Katholieke Universiteit Brussel, Faculteit Politieke en Sociale Wetenschappen, Centrum voor Toegepast Multivariaat Onderzoek, 17, Vrijheidslaan, 1081 Brussels (Belgium)

E-mail: Hassan.Bousetta@kubrussel.ac.be

The Antwerp paradox. Between political racism and multicultural perspectives (Le paradoxe anversois. Entre racisme politique et ouvertures multiculturelles) (p. 151-172)

The article examines the political participation and representation of ethnic minorities within Belgian elected assemblies in the city of Antwerp. The contribution endeavours at providing a comprehensive empirical overview of the issue at stake and discusses a number of methodological and conceptual issues related to the study of the political representation of ethnic minorities. The political emergence of ethnic minority candidates and elected politicians is then studied. The aim of the article is to assess whether the presence of a strongly represented extreme-right, as it is the case in Antwerp, has constituted a factor of political reaction within immigrant ethnic communities in Antwerp. Another issue raised in this contribution is about the impact of the political representation of ethnic minorities on the course of local public policies. (BELGIUM, CITIES, IMMIGRANTS, MIGRANT ASSIMILATION, POLITICS)

99.30.8 - French - Rainer MÜNZ and Ralf ULRICH, Université Humboldt, Institut des Sciences Sociales, D-10099 Berlin (Germany)

E-mail: Rainer.Muenz@sowi.hu-berlin.de ; Ralf.Ulrich@sowi.hu-berlin.de

Changing patterns of immigration to Germany: 1945-1996 (Les migrations en Allemagne : 1946-1996) (p. 173-210)

Germany is today, along with the United States and Russia, one of the three most important immigration countries worldwide. The authors examine how the immigrant population of Germany has risen despite the fact that the German government has sought to restrict it. They analyze six major streams of migration: refugees and expellees who came immediately after World War II, German resettlers from Eastern Europe ('Aussiedler'), emigration of (West) Germans, migration between East and West Germany, foreign labor migrants and asylum seekers. The dynamics of immigration, the chances on the labor market, and the opportunities for social integration were remarkably different for each of these groups. As far as absorption and integration are concerned the authors argue that different groups of immigrants should be treated more equally. (GERMANY, IMMIGRANTS, MIGRANT STATUS, MIGRANT ASSIMILATION, GOVERNMENT POLICY)

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