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The Agency of Migrant Associations: Analysing the Variation of Migrant Influence Across Transnational Processes

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The Agency of Migrant Associations: Analysing the Variation of Migrant Influence Across Transnational Processes ADVERTIMENT. Lʼaccés als continguts dʼaquesta tesi queda condicionat a lʼacceptació de les condicions dʼús establertes per la següent llicència Creative Commons: http://cat.creativecommons.org/?page_id=184 ADVERTENCIA. El acceso a los contenidos de esta tesis queda condicionado a la aceptación de las condiciones de uso establecidas por la siguiente licencia Creative Commons: http://es.creativecommons.org/blog/licencias/ WARNING. The access to the contents of this doctoral thesis it is limited to the acceptance of the use conditions set by the following Creative Commons license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/?lang=en PhD Thesis The agency of migrant associations: analysing the variation of migrant influence across transnational processes Míriam Acebillo-Baqué Supervised by Eva Kristine Østergaard-Nielsen PhD Programme in Politics, Policies and International Relations Institut de Govern i Polítiques Públiques (IGOP) Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Barcelona, November 2018 ii Abstract Migrants and migrant organisations are civic and political actors of increasing interest in social science and policy forums as well as in governmental and civil society settings. Yet, at the academic level, there is still a theoretical and empirical challenge concerning how to tackle an analysis of the power hierarchies in which migrants are embedded. Indeed, this is particularly the case when considering migrant collective agency within transnational perspectives. The aim of this thesis is to contribute to these debates by analysing to what degree organisations from the same migrant groups have different levels of agency when performing translocally. The thesis shows that tendencies to think about (civic and political) agency as a function of place and policy structures tends to disregard other internal dimensions that affect the collectives. The main questions that this research addresses are: Which institutional factors and migrant assets underpin the agency of migrant associations? How does the agency of migrant associations change across transnational processes? The agency of migrant associations is operationalized as having two dimensions: a) presence: the legitimacy and visibility of migrant associations; and b) weight: the capacity to influence the governance of civic and political affairs. The research adapts power frameworks from development studies to the analysis of migrant agency in order to analyse the relations between structure and agency factors affecting migrants. Thus, while migrant transnational engagement has been looked at in studies of transnational politics, this thesis seeks to contribute to our understanding of the agency of migrants by drawing on concepts of power and agency from development studies. I contend that the agency of migrant associations is an outcome of migrant associations’ assets and (formal and informal) institutions affecting these associations in co-development processes. To answer these main questions, the research draws upon co-development processes linking Senegalese migrant associations and localities in Catalonia and Senegal (in Kolda and Dakar). The research focuses on this extreme case to unpack regional variations in policy environment, and differences within the Senegalese community, in order to see how these factors relate to the agency of migrant associations. In accordance with this design, three main arguments guide the research. First, I argue that policy environments affect how the agency of migrant associations changes across localities within the same region and translocally. Different findings support this argument. Regarding localities in residence, results suggest that even though nurturing co-development may be a strategy to overcome more exclusionary local contexts regarding migrant civic engagement, this type of policy approach does not necessarily lead to more visibility of migrant associations. In the context of the country origin, it is found that – consistent with approaches that show awareness of the problems state penetration can have at local levels in Senegal, hometown transnationalism may be 'under the radar' when observing regional and municipal dynamics. Moreover, the findings show contrasting perceptions of the legitimacy of migrant associations in localities of residence or (rural) origin. Overall, migrant iii associations have less presence in Kolda than in the other localities at the municipal level. The second argument is that the assets of the migrant associations (human, organisational and financial) influence their presence in origin and residence contexts. The analysis of assets uncovers the civic and political presence of migrant associations in Kolda that remained invisible when analysing formal institutions at municipal and regional levels. The findings support the importance of factors such as level of education or gender for migrant transnationalism. However, research shows how the informal institutions affecting societies in Senegal - such as allegiance/nobility systems, chieftaincy and kin systems - traverse assets and consequently affect the agency of migrant associations. The third argument of the research is based on an analysis of the relationship between assets and weight of migrant associations in origin. According to the results, I argue that although co-development processes do lead to presence of migrant associations in origin - expressed either through more formal or assets-based mechanisms, at different governance levels including the village - it is rare for them to challenge social inequalities. The theoretical framework helps reveal these dynamics, and opens the possibility of analysing the agency of migrant associations in different groups and contexts. By bridging empowerment and agency frameworks of analysis with structure-agency debates in migration studies, the framework aims to enhance the dialogue between these fields of knowledge. iv Resum Les persones migrants i les organitzacions de migrants són actors cívics i polítics de creixent interès en els fòrums de ciències socials, així com en entorns governamentals i de la societat civil. Malgrat això, a nivell acadèmic, encara suposa un desafiament teòric i empíric com abordar una anàlisi de les jerarquies de poder en què estan integrats els migrants. En particular, aquest és el cas quan es considera l'agència col·lectiva migrant des de perspectives transnacionals. L'objectiu d'aquesta tesi és contribuir a aquests debats tot comprenent fins a quin punt les organitzacions d'un mateix grup de migrants tenen diferents nivells d'agència quan actuen translocalment. La tesi mostra que les tendències a pensar en l'agència (cívica i política) com a funció del lloc i de les estructures polítiques poden ignorar altres dimensions internes que afecten als col·lectius migrants. Les principals preguntes que aborda aquesta investigació són: Quins factors institucionals i actius de migrants sustenten l'agència d'associacions de migrants? Com canvia l'agència de les associacions de migrants en els processos transnacionals? L'agència d'associacions de migrants s’operacionalitza en dues dimensions: a) presència: legitimitat i visibilitat de les associacions de migrants; i b) pes: capacitat d'influir en la governança dels afers cívics i polítics. La investigació adapta marcs de poder d'estudis de desenvolupament a l'anàlisi de l'agència d'associacions de migrants per estudiar les relacions entre estructura-agència que els afecten. Per tant, tot i que el compromís transnacional dels migrants ja ha estat estudiat considerat en estudis sobre política transnacional, aquesta tesi vol contribuir a la comprensió de l'agència dels migrants a partir de conceptes de poder i d'agència treballats en estudis de desenvolupament. Sostinc que l'agència d'associacions de migrants és conseqüència dels actius de les associacions de migrants i de les institucions (formals i informals) que afecten aquestes associacions en els processos de codesenvolupament. Per respondre a les preguntes principals, es prenen processos de codesenvolupament que vinculen a les associacions de migrants senegalesos i les localitats a Catalunya i Senegal (a Kolda i Dakar). La investigació se centra en aquest cas extrem per cercar variacions regionals en l'entorn polític i diferències dins de la comunitat senegalesa, per tal de veure com aquests factors es relacionen amb l'agència de les associacions de migrants. D'acord amb aquest disseny, tres arguments principals guien la investigació. En primer lloc, sostinc que els entorns de polítiques afecten la forma en què l'agència d'associacions de migrants canvia en les localitats dins de la mateixa regió i de manera translocal. Diferents troballes donen suport a aquest argument. En relació a les localitats de residència, els resultats suggereixen que encara que el codesenvolupament pot ser una estratègia per superar contextos locals més tendents a l'exclusió respecte al compromís cívic migrant, la política no necessàriament du a una major visibilitat de les associacions de migrants en comparació amb els contextos locals que són, en general, més inclusius. En el context del país d'origen, es troba que, en coherència amb enfocaments que mostren els problemes en la penetració de l'estat senegalès al nivell local, el transnacionalisme local pot quedar desapercebut en observar dinàmiques a nivell regional i municipal. A més, les troballes mostren percepcions contrastades pel que fa a la legitimitat de les associacions de migrants a v les localitats de residència o origen (rural). En general,
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