Doctoral Dissertation Research: Non-citizen Participation in Civic Organizations

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SES-1129651Andreas GlaeserThomas SwertsUniversity of ChicagoABSTRACTDoctoral Dissertation Research: Non-citizen Participation in Civic Organizations.Due to global migration patterns, undocumented immigrants have established a tangible presence in countries across the Western world. They are excluded from conventional political participation because of their status as non-citizens. However, over the last decade, many have been eager to claim civil rights in both American and European cities. While the cultural, social and economic problems related to irregular migration have been the object of sociological research, less attention has been paid to their efforts toward political incorporation.By comparing undocumented immigrants in Chicago and Brussels, this project will show how they become politically incorporated in different structural urban environments. Within these urban contexts, the focus will be on their interactions with civil society organizations. Eight civil society organizations in the two cities have been selected to represent four different types of organizations which have been active in the political incorporation of undocumented immigrants. Different patterns of structural interaction between these organizations and undocumented immigrants are expected depending on the type of organization. These patterns of interaction in turn, should influence how the immigrants become politically active. We expect that diverging trajectories of political incorporation will be discovered, depending on the specific qualities of the urban context and the structures of interactions with civil society organizations. Data will be based on interviews, organizational ethnographies and discourse analysis. The research design of this study allows for comparison across national contexts (US - Belgium), cities (Chicago - Brussels), civil society organizations (self-organizations, first-line organizations, second-line organizations and churches), migrant groups (Mexicans and Moroccans) and individual migrant trajectories. Broader impactThe effort which undocumented immigrants make to serve their communities is seldom highlighted in public discourse. This study demonstrates that undocumented immigrants are actively engaged in community building efforts through their participation in civil society organizations. These organizations are critical in the political incorporation and integration of immigrants. Moreover, the data gathered in this study can uncover the substantial social and emotional barriers faced by undocumented immigrants and can make a substantial impact on the public perception of irregular migration.