Ph.D Program in Political Theory Cicle XXVII THE
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Ph.D Program in Political Theory Cicle XXVII THE IMPACT OF NATURALIZATION ON CIVIC INTEGRATION: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY ON TCNs IN ITALY Ph.D Dissertation By Silvia Cavasola DISSERTATION SUPERVISORS Prof. Raffaele De Mucci Dr. Marzia Basili Rome, November 2014 1 2 “Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” - Marie Curie 3 Abstract: The main objective of this dissertation is that of exploring the relationship between naturalization and civic integration from an empirical standpoint. Most existing studies have focused on the impact of naturalization on the specifically economic dimension of integration, whereas the non- economic aspects have been much more neglected. Here the question of the impact of naturalization is developed with regards to first-generation, third-country nationals (TCNs) residing in Italy, and focusing the attention on civic integration. The latter is provided a working definition characterized by three dimensions (“vertical”, “horizontal” and “subjective”). The research is based on interviews with fifty individuals carried out between 2012 and 2014. Interviews featured both a structured questionnaire and an open-ended talk. The methodology of analysis of the data was both quantitative and qualitative. The objective of mixing the two methods was to enable me, on the one hand, to define the relationship between the “citizenship variable” and the other main ones, and on the other, to gather a deeper understanding the mechanisms at work behind the process of integration in relation to citizenship acquisition. Overall, this research finds that notwithstanding the pervasive effects on the economic, social and political life that globalization, deterritorialization and increased cross-country mobility have had on nation-states and on individuals living within their borders, national citizenship is still a powerful drive in shaping first-generation immigrants’ chances for civic integration into the host country. Key Words: Naturalization; Civic integration; Citizenship; Immigration; Third-Country Nationals (TCNs). 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Synthesis……………………………………………………………………………………………7 0) Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………..9 I. Aims, questions and background II. The empirical study i. Why Italy ii. Why non-EU immigrants iii. Why third-country nationals iv. Why civic integration III. Structure of the dissertation PART A: THEORETHICAL LEVEL 1) Defining (civic) integration.…………………………………………………………………..17 1.1 What integration is not……………………………………………………….…..17 1.2 Defining integration………………………………………………………….…...20 1.2.1 Elements from modern political thought………………………………..…21 1.2.2 Integration in contemporary debates…………………….…………….…..23 1.3 Defining civic integration………………………………………………………....27 1.4 Why it is a desirable goal…………………...………………………………….…30 2) Citizenship, and its borders……………………………………………………………………37 2.1 Dimensions of citizenship………………………………………………………….37 3.1.1 Rights………………………………………………………………………..38 3.1.2 Belonging……………………………………………………………………39 3.1.3 Participation……………………….………………………………………..40 2.2 The de-nationalization of rights……………………………………………….…..41 3.2.1 The juridical dimension……………………...………………………………41 3.2.2 The sociological dimension……………………………………….…………45 2.3 Rights of citizens, rights of aliens.……………………………………...…………47 2.3.1 International, European and Italian norms…………………………………48 2.3.2 The undocumented, the residents and the LTRs………………………….….51 PART B: EMPIRICAL LEVEL 3) The empirical study: aims, methods, measures and challenges……………………………..55 3.1 Aims…………………………………………………………………………………55 3.2 Methods………………………………………….………..………………………...56 5 3.3 Measures……………………………………………………………….……..…….60 3.4 Challenges………………………………………………………………..…………63 4) Citizenship and civic integration: the empirical study………………………...……………..66 4.1 Citizenship and civic integration………………………………………...………..66 4.2.1 Vertical dimension…………………………………..………………...…….66 4.2.2 Horizontal dimension……………………………..…………………...……72 4.2.3 Subjective dimension…………………………………...………………...….78 4.2 Subjective dimension: qualitative to quantitative…………………..……………93 4.3 Discussion of the results…………………………………………………………..100 PART C: ANALITICAL LEVEL 5) Does citizenship still matter? Reflections over the “membership vs citizenship” debate in light of the empirical study………………………………………………………………….…...108 5.1 Which avenues for immigrants’ inclusion? Membership vs. citizenship…...…108 5.2 National, transnational or cosmopolitan belonging? Reflections based on the empirical study……………………………………………………………….…...114 5.3 Why national citizenship is (still) important for integration…………….….…118 6) Immigrants’ integration in the EU: a single, homogenous model?.......................................121 6.1 National integration regimes: patterns of change………………………………122 6.1.1 Immigrant integration yesterday: differentialism, assimilationism, multiculturalism…..………………………………………………………………..122 6.1.2 Immigrant integration today: patterns of convergence…………………...…125 6.2 The impact of the EU……………………………………………………………..127 6.2.1 EU activism………………………………….……………………………….127 6.3 Can we still speak of national models?.................................................................130 7) Conclusions…………………………………………………….………………………………133 List of Tables and Figures……………………………………………………………………….139 Bibliography…………………..………………………………………………………………….159 6 Synthesis The main objective of this dissertation has been that of exploring the relationship between naturalization and civic integration from an empirical standpoint. There already exists a number of empirical studies concerning such relationship, most of which focus on the impact of naturalization on the specifically economic dimension of integration. These studies feature pretty homogenous results, showing that naturalization generally does have a positive effect on economic integration. The studies that investigate the non-economic dimensions of integration (social, cultural, civic) instead are fewer and have generally produced much more heterogeneous results. This is especially true for what concerns studies on the case of Italy, where the lack of any systematic contribution on this area denotes the scarce attention that is generally paid to the role of naturalization policies in the process of integration of immigrants. In this research the question of the impact of naturalization on civic integration is developed in particular with regards to first-generation, third-country nationals (TCNs) residing in Italy. Civic integration is given a working definition characterized by three dimensions (“vertical”, “horizontal” and “subjective”), each of which corresponds to a set of variables which ultimately make up an index of civic integration. The research is based on interviews with fifty individuals carried out between 2012 and 2014. Interviews featured both a structured questionnaire and an open-ended talk in which individuals were free to elaborate on the topics suggested by the interviewer. The respondents, all of whom belong to one of the five main non-EU foreign communities in Italy, have been divided into two main groups, whose main difference consisted the fact of holding (or not) Italian citizenship. The two groups were characterized by internal heterogeneity (in terms of levels of education, religion, background, origin, place of residence), but they were specular to the other group. The methodology of analysis of the data was both quantitative and qualitative. The objective of mixing such two methods was to enable me, on the one hand, to define the relationship between the “citizenship variable” and the other main ones, and on the other, to gather a deeper understanding the mechanism at work behind the process of integration in relation to citizenship acquisition. Due to the small interview sample size, and to the use of a single observation site (the Lazio region), the present study does not intend to make universal claims. Rather, the research should be read as a single puzzle piece that can be used to enhance knowledge building on a much neglected topic. Overall, this research finds that notwithstanding the pervasive effects on the economic, social and political life that globalization, deterritorialization and increased cross-country mobility have had on nation-states and on individuals living within their borders, citizenship is still a powerful drive in 7 shaping first-generation immigrants’ chances for civic integration into the host country. Individuals who have acquired citizenship have been here observed as having better records in terms of two out of three of the main indicators that have been used to operationalize the concept of civic integration. In this light, I argue that the formal recognition of membership that comes with citizenship acquisition eases those material and immaterial barriers that make it difficult for the individual to experience a sense of belonging to the society. The empirical findings give rise to a number of considerations which oppose me to post-nationalists (of various kind) who argue that citizenship has lost its centrality in shaping individuals’ attachments, identifications and life paths. My argument about the persistent centrality of citizenship is not meant as a normative stance. I do not mean this dissertation as a conservative defense of the old national categorizations on who is a member and who is not. Neither was this research aimed at defending the current status quo in terms of citizenship policies and legislation in Italy