Social Capital and Civic Engagement of Migrants in Portugal Ana Paula Beja Horta

1. Capital Social y Participación Ciudadana de los Imigrantes en Espana Y EuropaMadrid, 31 de Octubre de 2008 Social Capital and Civic Engagement of Migrants in Portugal Ana Paula Beja Horta CEMRI/ Universidade Aberta

2. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Social Capital and Political Participation Hypothesis Ethnic civic communities – Concepts and Indicators Organizational Density Institutional Completeness Density of Networks

3. The Cape Verdeans in the Region of Lisbon Cape Verdean settlement periods Phase I. Mid 1960s Labour migrants in construction and public works activity sectors. Concentrated in inner city (S.Bento area) Phase II. Mid 1970s Migration boom. Chain migration, labour migration. Settlement in first peripheral ring of Lisbon. Over-representation in slum neighbourhoods and public housing estates

4. Fig. 1 – Capeverdean nationals in the total number of foreigners in the municipalities of Greater Lisbon - 2001

5. Fig. 2 – Percentage of Capeverdean nationals in the total number of residents - municipalities of Greater Lisbon 2001

6. Fig. 3 – Percentage of Capeverdean nationals in the total number of foreigners - municipalities of Great Lisbon in 2001

7. The Cape Verdeans in the Region of Lisbon • Phase III. 1990s to present Residential concentration in first ring with some spread to second ring of Lisbon Concentration in the municipalities of Lisbon, Amadora ,Oeiras, Loures and Sintra Lisbon 2852 (0.5% of total resident population) Amadora 5171 (2.9%) Oeiras 2642 (1.6 %)

8. Cape verdeans in Lisbon, Amadora and Oeiras • Great visibility of Cape verdean communities in Amadora and Oeiras • Cape verdeans represent 41.3% of total foreign population in Amadora and 36% in Oeiras • Development of formal and informal networks and associations • Historical importance of Cape verdean associational movement in Lisbon. Presence of core organizations in the municipality

9. Major Dimensions of Analysis • Organizational Structure • Social Networks of organizations Inter-organizational networks Intra-organizational networks Transnational networks • Political Activities

10. Major Results from empirical work Organizational Structure • The majority of associations are small-scale operations which orient themselves towards social services. • Associations in Lisbon target mainly immigrant and cultural issues with a combination of social care activities • Associations in Amadora and Oeiras function primarily as social services agencies • Fifty percent of associations in Amadora are welfare organizations (IPSS) • Resources and mobilization capacity linked to the organizational model of associations

11. Organizational structure (cont.) Organizations’ self-identity Amadora and Oeiras • Capeverdean self-understanding relies heavily on social and community care rather than on ethnic identity Lisbon • Self-identification is based primarily on ethnicity (culture) and immigration.

12. Lisbon ACIME NGOs Political parties Very few cross-ethnic organizational relations (Casa do Brasil e AGUINENSO Amadora and Oeiras ACIME Charity organizations Political parties Very few contacts with other migrant organizations (Casa do Brasil and AGUINENSO) Social Networks of OrganizationsInter-organizational links

13. Social Networks of OrganizationsIntra-organizational links • The density of relations between associations is far superior than those registered in the inter-organizational field • Associations with highest number of contacts and collaborations with non-immigrant organizations are also the associations with the highest level of intra-organizational group relations • Four node points in the organizational network: Associação Caboverdiana, Morabeza, Unidos de Cabo Verde e Moínho da Juventude

14. Transnational Networks • 88% of associations interviewed had linkages with Capeverdean associations all over the world • Privileged contacts with associations • Rotterdam (Avanço and Cape verdean association of the Netherlands) • Italy (Cape verdean Women’s Association of Italy, Cape verdean association of Italy) • France (Cape verdean associations in Nice, Lyon and Paris • Cape Verde (national and local organizations)

15. Political Participation Political engagement • Overall tendency towards non-confrontational forms of claims-making • Protest activities focus on integration, citizenship and immigration issues Amadora and Oeiras • Mobilization related to daily-life in poor neighbourhoods Lisbon • Mobilization related to citizenship laws and immigration policies

16. Political Participation (cont.) • The majority of associations in Lisbon and Amadora is involved in political election campaigns • Immigrant associations in Lisbon and Amadora have member candidates and members elected at the local level • In Lisbon, associations have a higher level of political participation in regards to member candidates and members elected at the national, local and country of origin levels

17. Political Participation (cont.) • Participation in local consultative bodies • The overwhelming majority of the associations do not participate in local advisory councils • Very few associations are members of consultation committees or task groups addressing specific policies targetting migrant communities • Weak receiving society institutional frameworks • Organizations with higher organizational density (social capital) are also those that participate the most in political activity

18. Future Directions • Findings tend to support the assumption that ethnic civic engagement potentiates political participation • Need to further inquire into the dynamics of how and in what circumstances social capital is convertible into political capital • Need to explore the extent to which ethnic leaders mediate the political participation of membership • Address the degree to which transnational social capital may increase politiccal capital in the receiving society and in country of origin • Need to further explore the role of local opportunity structures in shaping migrants’ political integration