FEAS RESEARCH E-BULLETIN FEAS RESEARCH E-BULLETIN DECEMBER 2017 | Page 7

Author: Çoban Balcı, Aslıhan
Title: Immigrant Organizations and Boundaries of Political Participation: The Case of Turkey
Origin Immigrant Associations in Germany
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Ayşe Ayata
Department: Political Science and Public Administration
Date: January 2017
Abstract: Thi s dissertation aims to explore different comprehensions of immigrants’ political
participation and/or integration adopted by two distinct groups of organizations founded by
Turkey origin immigrants in Germany, namely religious immigrant organizations and secular
immigrant organizations. To that end, the unique political practices of migrant organizations are
comparatively analyzed with reference to their activities, objectives, decision making processes,
organizational structures, and conceptions on political participation, democracy and integration.
The data were collected through thirthy six in-depth interviews with the executive or active board
members of nine different migrant associations. The interviews were conducted in Cologne and
Bielefeld within the years 2012-2013. The findings of the interviews reveal that the two groups of
immigrant associations could be associated with two different social capitals, namely bonding social
capital and bridging social capital. The dissertation also shows that in the relevant literature, there is
little focus on the organizations which disseminate and carry bridging social capital. Thus, existing
theoretical approaches on the immigrants’ political participation in Europe is critically evaluated.
Based on the findings, this dissertation argues that the mentioned bilateral differentiation among
immigrant groups has some negative effects on the well-being of the immigrant community and on
the social harmony in Germany.
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