Abstract
In many cities in Western Europe inhabitants without a migration background have become a local minority group among many others in so-called majority-minority neighbourhoods. These inhabitants remain the numerical and cultural majority in their respective countries as a whole. Being a (local) numerical minority does not automatically mean experiencing one’s position as that of a minority, a position related not only to the numerical representation of a group, but also to the group’s experience of (lower) status within society. Using a Social Identity Theory framework, I investigate the characteristics of people without a migration background that feel like a local minority while they remain a national majority. The results show only a minority of respondents who live in majority-minority neighbourhoods actually feel like a minority. Those who do tend to perceive a larger outgroup size in their surroundings, feel socially marginalised, and have a more exclusive understanding of national identity. Thus, people without a migration background who feel like a minority see the ingroup as a truer reflection of the national community and at the same time see the ingroup’s position as disadvantaged.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1977-1995 |
Number of pages | 19 |
Journal | Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies |
Volume | 49 |
Issue number | 8 |
Early online date | 31 Mar 2023 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This work was supported by the European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant # 741532. I would like to thank Marcel Coenders, Maurice Crul, Elif Keskiner and the reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions on earlier versions of this manuscript.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Funding
This work was supported by the European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant # 741532. I would like to thank Marcel Coenders, Maurice Crul, Elif Keskiner and the reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions on earlier versions of this manuscript.
Funders | Funder number |
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European Research Council | 741532 |
European Research Council |
Keywords
- feeling a minority
- Majority-minority cities
- marginalization
- mixed neighbourhoods
- social identity