Linda Bakker

Social trust in urban neighbourhoods: The effect of relative ethnic group position

Social trust is essential to a cohesive society. Previous studies have demonstrated the importance of individual and contextual determinants in explaining social trust. In this paper it is argued, by means of Blumer’s group position theory, that an individual’s position in the ethnic hierarchy relative to that of the neighbourhood residents influences his or her social trust in the neighbourhood. The multilevel regression analysis of data from the Amsterdam Safety Monitor 2009 provides tentative support for this theory. Building upon previous studies, the relevant individual and contextual determinants of social trust in the neighbourhood are also studied. Contrary to earlier findings, no neighbourhood effects are detected. Thus, it is neither the actual position in the ethnic hierarchy nor the effect of the neighbourhood, but the ethnic position relative to the neighbourhood residents that diminishes minority group members’ social trust through a threat that appears to be both socioeconomic and cultural.

Explaining the refugee gap: a longitudinal study on labour market participation of refugees in the Netherlands

ABSTRACT In this paper, we examine the existence and development of the ‘refugee gap’: the difference in labour market participation rates between refugees and other types of migrants. Using the cumulative disadvantage hypothesis, we studied whether the ‘refugee entry effect’ scars refugees for their working careers in the Netherlands. To do so, we used register data (Social Statistical Database), containing information on all refugees who received refugee status in the Netherlands between 1995 and 1999 (N = 33,030). We compared their labour market participation over the 2000–2011 period with that of labour and family migrants in the same cohort (N = 78,298). We conclude that the ‘refugee gap’ exists at the start of refugees working career in the Netherlands and that it diminishes over time.

Transnationalism in a Comparative Perspective: An Introduction

Since the publication of ‘Nations Unbound’ (Basch et al 1994), studies on transnationalism have mushroomed. Despite ongoing debates about the nature of the concept, and the newness of the phenomenon, there is a growing consensus about the importance of taking into account migrants’ multi-stranded social ties which link together societies of origin and settlement. There is also a strong push to move away from ‘methodological nationalism’ in order to better understand the manifold ties, identifications and activities of migrants and non-migrants across international borders (Wimmer & Glick Schiller 2002; Vertovec 2009). The first generation of transnational studies focused strongly on transnational practices, such as economic transnationalism (including remittances), political transnationalism (social movements, diaspora politics), and identity formation, social remittances and ethnic entrepreneurship (see e.g. Guarnizo et al 2003; Khagram & Levitt 2008). While many of these studies were based in the immigration-receiving context of the United States (see e.g. Portes et al 1999; Itzighsohn and Saucedo 2002; Waldinger and Fitzgerald 2004), soon after transnationalism theory was also incorporated into European migration studies (Snel et al 2006; De Haas & Fokkema 2011; Erdal & Oeppen 2013). The European context offers highly relevant research sites for transnational studies, mainly because many of the EU countries today can be considered immigration countries with considerably large permanent migrant groups and continuous inflows that create new connections with diverse countries of origin. In relation to this, it is important to mention that the European Union (EU) 2004 and 2007 enlargements created a borderless zone that boosted existing transnational patterns within the EU and generated complex new ones. Moreover, European welfare states offer particular structural conditions for both

In Exile and in Touch

Studying transnational behaviour, i.e. interactions between the sending and receiving countries of international migrants, is especially interesting for refugees given their migration motive and history. Due to the flight, resources are lost and returning to the home country is often not an option; both are factors that might limit transnational behaviour. The central aim of this study is to explain the patterns of transnational behaviour for refugee groups in relation to their integration process. For this we use a large scale dataset (N=3950) which contains information on Somali, Iranian, Iraqi and Afghani refugees in the Netherlands. Along the lines of the ‘resource dependent’ thesis the analyses show that individual capacities, such as employment and Dutch nationality, are of major importance in explaining transnational activities of refugees. Second, this paper shows that the economic and social situation in the origin country should be taken into account for understanding the differences in transnational activities among refugee groups.