Participation, Integration, and Recognition – Changing Pathways to Immigrant Incorporation

These conference proceedings gather expert articles about different ways of understanding immigrant incorporation, both historically and in contemporary society. It is important to examine critically what is meant by the term ”integration”. Who are targeted with integration policies and who are left out? In which domains of society (e.g. education, labor market and families) is integration expected to take place and at what speed? What is the desired outcome of integration, both for immigrants and for members of the receiving society? How is this outcome measured and best achieved?The articles included in this publication show that there is no single pathway to successful immigrant integration. Immigrants – just like anyone else – have multiple roles in their lives (for example, as family members, workers, students, and political and cultural actors), engage in activities in different social fields, and form relationships along these dimensions. In each of these dimensions, different factors can create obstacles or opportunities for immigrants’ integration process. As scholars examine these multiple pathways to immigrant integration, it is important to keep in mind the power relationships embedded in the integration process. Ideally, integration is a two-way process which results in changes in both immigrant communities and the receiving society. The publication shows how crucial it is to examine integration as a process, and study it both at the group and individual level.