Democratic Mobilisation in Immigrant Organisations

By analysing the interactions between political opportunity structures andimmigrant organisations’ mobilising their members to political participation, thisarticle suggests and applies a systematic classification comprising three formsof democratic mobilisation: immigrant organisations function as a public arenafor their members; they increase knowledge of political participation amongmembers; and they develop a political culture among members. The articleconcludes that open political opportunity structures offer scope for action toresourceful activists. These activists see that the local political opportunitystructures allow scope for political participation by persons with immigrantbackground, and use the immigrant organisations as an arena to develop apolitical culture of political participation. Immigrant organisations can serve asagents of political integration through projects, which aim to mobilise membersto political participation