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POLITICAL ASPECTS OF MIGRANTS INTEGRATION TO THE HOST COMMUNITY

V. Frants

Abstract

The article discusses the political aspects of migrants’ integration on the example of Sverdlovsk region of the Russian Federation. The author pays special attention to the study of integration of migrants from Central Asia as one of the most numerous and, however, different from the local population category of migrants. From the point of view of the author, given the border location of the Sverdlovsk region in relation to the Central Asian States, as well as the high level of its economic development, making the high influx of migrants inevitable, the study of practices of integration within this area is of considerable interest. In the article the special emphasis is placed on the consideration of two phenomena. The first one is the political identity of migrants and its influence to their integration as well as to the level of social tension in the host community. The second one is the political activity of migrants as, at the same time, the indicator of migrant’s integration and its consequence. The article concerns the interconnection between migrants ethnic and civic identity as part of their political identity. The author argues that the most dangerous kind of the basis of migrants political identity is the ethnic one. Building a political identity on an ethnic basis often leads to social conflicts and interethnic tensions. Alternatively, the domination of a so-called civic identity in the structure of migrants political identity can be the favorable integration factor. In the frame of the article the author considers Russian and foreign experience of migrants political identity formation and tries to identify the best ways to provide the dominance of civic identity of migrants over the ethnic one. In the understanding of politics and political identity, the author relies on the concept of G. Diligenskii and K. Mannheim. Also the methodological basis of the study is multivariate identity model, elaborated by M. Lot, multidimensional model of integration by M. Emerson, national identity elements classification by G. Best, R. Robertson’s concept of “glocalization”. The article argues that political activity represents the highest level of participation of individuals and groups in the life of the state. The involvement of migrants in the electoral process, membership in political parties and public organizations, participation in civil society activities, including protest, is indicative of the degree of their social integration. In the analysis of European practices of integration of migrants though political activity, the author relies on the research of P. Irlend, H.-J. Hoffman-Novotny, R. Koopmans, etc. For the evaluation of Russian practices the theoretical model by V. Malakhov, U. Efimov etc. were used. In the conclusion, the author analyzes the dominant forms of political activity of migrants from Central Asia in Sverdlovsk region as well as the structure of their political identity and proposes some ideas for its improvement to provide the better migrants integration.

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DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgemsocial2017/12/S01.019

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