Political Context and Organizations

Abstract

This introductory chapter illustrates the main research question behind this book: what are the alternative modalities of facing political exclusion of migrant groups in Europe? In this chapter, Pilati introduces her study on the political exclusion of three migrant groups, Filipinos, Egyptians and Ecuadorians in Milan, a city characterized by a moderately closed political context of migrant integration compared to other cities in Europe. In this chapter Pilati articulates the main hypothesis, arguing that the effect of an exclusionary context on political engagement is moderated by the level and type of organizational engagement and of organizational networks. Differences in these dimensions are likely to lead to different modalities of facing political exclusion.