Immigration, Identity and Inequality - The Micro-Level Effects of Discrimination on Integration

Sammanfattning: The relation between identity and Horizontal Inequality is increasingly relevant in the light of international migration flows. Research on the effects of Horizontal Inequality, or discrimination, on integration, is however limited. In particular, the causal mechanism underlying this relation remains to be defined. The present study fills this gap, arguing that perceived Horizontal Inequalities, i.e. inequalities between identity groups, create grievances in affected migrants that in turn increase group boundaries and, finally, decrease people’s ability to integrate into a new society. This proposed causal mechanism is tested through the use of process tracing and the controlled comparison method. Qualitative evaluative and thematic text analysis is employed to this end on novel micro-level data obtained through 30 interviews of concerned migrants and experts in Germany. The findings indicate support for the hypothesised model, amongst others highlighting the centrality of prior expectations and experiences for perceptions of Horizontal Inequality.