Ethnic Networks and the Educational Achievement of Immigrants across the life-span

种族网络对移民子女的结构性融合的作用对融合战略和政策至关重要。然而，这个问题在科学上存在严重争议。一些学者认为，依赖种族关系限制了年轻移民的发展，而另一些学者则认为，同种族关系可以弥补结构性劣势。从经验上看，这两种观点都有证据支持，它们不仅涉及不同接收国的不同移民群体，而且涉及教育生涯中非常不同的阶段；种族网络对人的影响是正面的还是负面的，主要取决于人的生命历程。这个项目旨在通过一个更全面的跨代融合模型来整合这些看似矛盾的观点。我们的理论起点一方面是社会资本理论，另一方面是框架选择模型（MFS），它通过强调文化规范和价值观的作用来克服标准理性选择理论的局限性。我们的目的是解释为什么种族网络的确切作用在很大程度上取决于移民群体的特定特征、教育生涯的特定阶段和教育成功的特定指标。为了测试各自的假设，我们将依靠来自国家教育小组研究（NEPS）的数据，该数据提供了一个独特的机会来测试特定的假设，因为它包含了关于儿童及其父母在几个教育阶段的种族网络和社会资本的丰富信息。

The role of ethnic networks for the structural integration of immigrants’ children is of crucial importance for integration strategies and policies. The issue is, however, under heavy scientific dispute. While some scholars reason that reliance on ethnic ties constrains the advancement of young immigrants, others argue that ties to co-ethnics can compensate for structural disadvantage. Empirically, there is evidence for both kinds of arguments, referring not only to rather diverse immigrant groups in diverse receiving countries but also to very different steps within educational careers; whether ethnic networks have positive or negative effects seems to depend, amongst others, heavily on the life-course. This project aims to integrate these seemingly conflicting views by a more comprehensive model of intergenerational integration across the life-span. Our theoretical starting points are social capital theory, on the one hand, and the model of frame-selection (MFS), on the other hand, that over-comes limits of standard Rational-Choice-Theories by emphasizing the role of cultural norms and values. Our aim is to explain why the precise role of ethnic networks depends crucially on specific characteristics of immigrant groups, on a specific stage of educational careers, and on specific indicators of educational success. To test respective hypotheses we will rely on data from the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) that provide a unique chance to test particular hypotheses, as it contains rich information on ethnic networks and social capital of children and their parents at several educational stages.