Transnational Political Practices of Second-Generation Immigrants in Europe

Adriana Cassis

There is a knowledge gap around the political behavior of Europe’s second-generation immigrants. Theories of political behavior tend to assume that citizens are bound to a single polity. However, these assumptions do not hold for immigrants and their children, who are bound to multiple countries. Using a mixed-methods analysis, the project examines how a dual frame of reference manifests itself at the macro, meso, and micro levels and determines transnational political practices. Quantitatively, a secondary data analysis on Turkish immigrants and their descendants in Germany and the Netherlands will be conducted to identify common patterns in transnational political practices. Qualitatively, a theoretical sample of second-generation immigrants will be selected for semi-structured interviews. Finally, a qualitative content analysis will explore new variables and test theoretical propositions. The research aims to shed some light on the political transformations of European society.