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Soziale Netzwerke von MigrantInnen und die Konstruktion von Zugehörigkeit

Applicant Dahinden Janine
Number 107844
Funding scheme Project funding (special)
Research institution Maison d'analyse des processus sociaux MAPS Université de Neuchâtel
Institution of higher education University of Neuchatel - NE
Main discipline Ethnology
Start/End 01.05.2005 - 30.04.2008
Approved amount 145'400.00
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Keywords (11)

Ethnologie; Immigration; Exclusion; social networks; ethnic group formation; social exclusion and; inclusion; cultural identity; construction of social memberhip; integration of immigrants; culture

Lay Summary (English)

Lead
Lay summary
In this research we intend to analyse the social networks of differenttypes of migrants in order to better understand the construction ofmembership (or non-membership) criteria for different social, cultural andgeographic categories.

Our main research question can be summarized as follows: what are thesocial networks of different types of migrants composed of, how are theystructured and on the basis of what criteria are cultural and socialmembership categories constituted? In other terms, how can we bestdescribe the conjunction between the forms of social networks andmembership identities ?

Our principal hypotheses is as follows: Socio-economic and legal factors,as well as educational variables, will have a considerable effect on thecomposition and forms of social networks, and will determine membershipcriteria. These factors are more important than “ethnic” or “national”origin and “culture”.

In order to answer these questions, we have chosen a research designfollowing two stages. In our first stage, we will record the personalsocial networks of 80 - 100 migrants. From a methodological point of view,the study adopts the perspective of classical “network analysis”, as it ispracticed in social anthropology and sociology.

In order to be able to interpret the standardized network data and toattain a more in-depth comprehension of the topic, in a second stage wewill conduct 10-20 case studies. Participant observation, narrative,semi-structured interviews, and in-depth-interviews with referencepersons, etc. are some of the methods which will be applied in this stage.The research will be carried out in Neuchâtel.

To conclude, this study is an empirical analysis of migrant socialnetworks and the construction of social membership. More generally, thestudy highlights the fundamental question of the importance and role ofsocial relations in the context of migration research. In this sense, thestudy will participate centrally in the debate on ethnicity and onmechanisms of social exclusion and inclusion.
Direct link to Lay Summary Last update: 21.02.2013

Responsible applicant and co-applicants

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