The purpose of this project is to determine the role of the welfare state in the integration of immigrants. The project seeks to understand how immigrants obtain information about, and access to, local and national social assistance programs, how their experiences vary across welfare states, and how these experiences shape their identity formation, which, in turn, can either help or hinder their integration into the host society. This research is based on an original approach based on in-depth semi-structured interviews with Latino immigrants in London, New York, and Madrid. It offers an innovative perspective on the relations between social services providers and recipients of these services. One of the innovative aspects of this project is that it focuses on the experiences of immigrants.
In the current context of the migration crisis in Europe and in the United States, the study of ethno-racial minorities, their movements, and their integration into different Welfare States is of renewed significance. A comparison between three countries with differing migration and social policies further highlights the mechanisms at play in the interactions between immigrants and social services. This project will advance the knowledge on identity formation, immigrant integration and the role of public policies in shaping these processes.
The main research question is: to what extent do interactions with social services (and service providers) influence the socio-economic integration of immigrants in the host society? To investigate this question, the project will analyze these sub-questions: (1) how do interactions with social service providers shape Latino immigrants’ identity formation and sense of belonging to the host society? (2) how do the interactions between immigrants and social service providers vary across Welfare States? and (3) do social services influence immigrant integration and, if so, do they promote the successful integration of immigrants, or do they hinder their integration?
