Collective identity, associative dynamics and social participation of migrant communities in Switzerland: the search for a local citizenship

Claudio Bolzman

Authors

Claudio Bolzman Doctor en Ciencias Económicas y Sociales. Profesor en el Institut d’Etudes Sociales de la Universidad de Ginebra (Suiza).

Abstract

The purpose of this article is the study of the significance of the new forms of collective identity developed by Spanish an Italian immigrants in Swiss society. The immigrants direct their efforts at local level and rely largely on their own resources to achieve greater social recognition. They express themselves both at the cultural and political levels, through organisations of different sorts and fight for their political rights at the local level. Our analysis establishes a relationship between socio-historical changes and changes in the immigrants’ways of collective expression.

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References

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