Migrants’ Participation and Migration Governance Amidst Hostility in Small Localities: An Italian Case Study
In this article we examine how small and medium‐sized towns address migrants’ participation amidst hostility. To do so, we focus on a small town in central Italy. We scrutinise two dimensions of participation— visibility and agency in policy‐making—and connect them to specific forms of hostility tow...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cogitatio
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Social Inclusion |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/9076 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850075297261551616 |
|---|---|
| author | Alba Angelucci Gül Ince-Beqo Fabio De Blasis |
| author_facet | Alba Angelucci Gül Ince-Beqo Fabio De Blasis |
| author_sort | Alba Angelucci |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In this article we examine how small and medium‐sized towns address migrants’ participation amidst hostility. To do so, we focus on a small town in central Italy. We scrutinise two dimensions of participation— visibility and agency in policy‐making—and connect them to specific forms of hostility towards migrants that can arise in small communities. We also consider how changes in the social fabric and political discourse can overcome and subvert such hostilities. By exploring the case vertically (involving institutions) and horizontally (involving civil society actors), we analyse local migrants’ participation in light of political transitions and changes in the local government’s attitude. We focus in particular on how and whether migrants are granted space in the planning and implementation of integration and participation policies across different periods in a small town in central Italy. This case highlights substantial policy transitions that shape migrants’ involvement in local life and set boundaries on their engagement. The article, which is based on qualitative research conducted within the EU‐funded project PISTE—Participation in Small and Medium‐Sized Towns: Experiences, Exchanges, Experiments, relies on policy analysis and 17 semi‐structured interviews with policy‐makers and civil society actors. The results show that political discourse on migration affects perceptions and practices of hostility in regard to migrants and the forms of visibility assumed by migrants’ participation in small and medium‐sized towns. When participation is politically hindered, everyday practices of visibility (such as being visible in public spaces) assume political significance. The presence of “bridging figures” is crucial for facilitating the transition from an adverse to a more inclusive political environment, enhancing participation by specific migrant groups. However, reliance on such bridging figures and personal relationships can be a double‐edged sword. It can promote participation, but it may confine it to individual interactions rather than foster broader migrants engagement. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8c8185eaac824f389bf0462e5e1fa831 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2183-2803 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Cogitatio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Social Inclusion |
| spelling | doaj-art-8c8185eaac824f389bf0462e5e1fa8312025-08-20T02:46:20ZengCogitatioSocial Inclusion2183-28032025-01-0113010.17645/si.90763961Migrants’ Participation and Migration Governance Amidst Hostility in Small Localities: An Italian Case StudyAlba Angelucci0Gül Ince-Beqo1Fabio De Blasis2Department of Law and Political, Economic and Social Sciences, Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale “Amedeo Avogadro,” ItalyDepartment of Social and Political Sciences, University of Milan, ItalyDepartment of Social and Political Sciences, University of Milan, ItalyIn this article we examine how small and medium‐sized towns address migrants’ participation amidst hostility. To do so, we focus on a small town in central Italy. We scrutinise two dimensions of participation— visibility and agency in policy‐making—and connect them to specific forms of hostility towards migrants that can arise in small communities. We also consider how changes in the social fabric and political discourse can overcome and subvert such hostilities. By exploring the case vertically (involving institutions) and horizontally (involving civil society actors), we analyse local migrants’ participation in light of political transitions and changes in the local government’s attitude. We focus in particular on how and whether migrants are granted space in the planning and implementation of integration and participation policies across different periods in a small town in central Italy. This case highlights substantial policy transitions that shape migrants’ involvement in local life and set boundaries on their engagement. The article, which is based on qualitative research conducted within the EU‐funded project PISTE—Participation in Small and Medium‐Sized Towns: Experiences, Exchanges, Experiments, relies on policy analysis and 17 semi‐structured interviews with policy‐makers and civil society actors. The results show that political discourse on migration affects perceptions and practices of hostility in regard to migrants and the forms of visibility assumed by migrants’ participation in small and medium‐sized towns. When participation is politically hindered, everyday practices of visibility (such as being visible in public spaces) assume political significance. The presence of “bridging figures” is crucial for facilitating the transition from an adverse to a more inclusive political environment, enhancing participation by specific migrant groups. However, reliance on such bridging figures and personal relationships can be a double‐edged sword. It can promote participation, but it may confine it to individual interactions rather than foster broader migrants engagement.https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/9076bridging figureshostilitylocal policy‐makingmigrants’ participationmigration policiespolitical participationsmall towns |
| spellingShingle | Alba Angelucci Gül Ince-Beqo Fabio De Blasis Migrants’ Participation and Migration Governance Amidst Hostility in Small Localities: An Italian Case Study Social Inclusion bridging figures hostility local policy‐making migrants’ participation migration policies political participation small towns |
| title | Migrants’ Participation and Migration Governance Amidst Hostility in Small Localities: An Italian Case Study |
| title_full | Migrants’ Participation and Migration Governance Amidst Hostility in Small Localities: An Italian Case Study |
| title_fullStr | Migrants’ Participation and Migration Governance Amidst Hostility in Small Localities: An Italian Case Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Migrants’ Participation and Migration Governance Amidst Hostility in Small Localities: An Italian Case Study |
| title_short | Migrants’ Participation and Migration Governance Amidst Hostility in Small Localities: An Italian Case Study |
| title_sort | migrants participation and migration governance amidst hostility in small localities an italian case study |
| topic | bridging figures hostility local policy‐making migrants’ participation migration policies political participation small towns |
| url | https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/9076 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT albaangelucci migrantsparticipationandmigrationgovernanceamidsthostilityinsmalllocalitiesanitaliancasestudy AT gulincebeqo migrantsparticipationandmigrationgovernanceamidsthostilityinsmalllocalitiesanitaliancasestudy AT fabiodeblasis migrantsparticipationandmigrationgovernanceamidsthostilityinsmalllocalitiesanitaliancasestudy |