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Economic and Political Integration in Immigrant Neighborhoods |
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| Trajectories of Virtuous
and Vicious Cycles |
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Understanding why culture becomes an integral part of economic and political activities remains a central puzzle in social sciences. Economic and Political Integration in Immigrant Neighborhoods analyzes different patterns of community organization, develops a theoretical explanation for the contrasting patterns, and empirically addresses when and how social bonds are a source of economic success and political integration. The substantive focus of this book is immigrant communities and how they organize politically and economically. In Southall, London, individuals are explicit about the pressures to establish a good reputation among the oldeor people in the neighborhood. Rather than social bonds creating potentially cost-saving strategies, the dominant picture is one of social bonds creating profit constraints. And rather than social bonds fostering adaptation and integration, they are the foundation for violence. In Wembley, London, social attachments are relevant in entrepreneurial activities. However, in sharp contrast with Southall, the relevance is limited to participation in an organization promoting economic expansion and integration beyond the neighborhood. Formal social institutions focus cultural activities, and in confined settings, limit conflict between different groups. |
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In Chicago, the extent to which employers hire individuals of other religions and ethnicities, other nationalities, and other races impressive, and the extent to which culture appears irrelevant for entrepreneurial activities is profound. In this final setting, individuals appear most integrated into the surrounding culture, but there is also evidence of instability and potential conflict. The role of culture in entrepreneurship and political activities varies across the three neighborhoods; being a liability, an asset, or irrelevant. Understanding the factors to explain these outcomes contributes to the theoretical literature on culture, development, and immigration. The book traces the groups back to their native India. Through interviews, survey data, and observation this is an empirical study of two Indian communities in three countries—India, Britain, and the U.S.A. Beyond analyzing the variation across immigrant groups, the book explains why these different patterns of organization emerge by tracing the communities from point of origin in the home country to the place of settlement in the host countries. The audience for Economic and Political Integration in Immigrant Neighborhoods is widely cast. In the social sciences, it will appeal to scholars and policy makers who are concerned with the issue of integration in increasingly diverse polities. Further, the empirical evidence contributes to core theoretical debates prominent among those studying the role of culture as social capital in development. With the emphasis on entrepreneurial activities, it is especially appealing to those business scholars with an interest in the role of culture in economic decisions and organization. With the cases of the Gujarati and Punjabi communities in India, in England, and the U.S., the anticipated audience also includes students of British and American politics, policy scholars and students of immigration and integration, and area studies specialists of Indian immigrant communities. |
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ISBN-13: 978-1-57591-111-3 Price: $53.50 |
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Last Reviewed by Nabin Mulepati | SU Press (570)372-4175/fax (570)372-4021 or
email: supress@susqu.edu Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, PA 17870 |
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