Urban governance networks and minority representation

Maria Schiller, Julia Martínez-Ariño, Michalis Moutselos, Karen Schönwälder
(cooperating partner: Dr. Mireia Bolibar, Barcelona)

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Policy development and implementation nowadays often involves cooperative structures between state and civil society actors. This raises questions of participation and representation: To what extent are such non-parliamentary structures inclusive of minority groups in the population? Are immigrant groups part of urban governance networks? Based on the CityDiv-survey, MPI-scholars have mapped key features of governance networks in the largest French and German cities, and described the place of immigrant advocacy actors within them. Qualitative work has focused on fora, such as French councils for diversity and laicité, and German integration councils. We can show a widespread incorporation of immigrant advocacy organizations in urban governance networks. The existence of stable institutional structures dedicated to immigrant incorporation or religious diversity plays a key role for wider network incorporation.

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