Universität zu Köln

Beier, Harald and Kroneberg, Clemens ORCID: 0000-0001-8838-1087 (2013). Language Boundaries and the Subjective Well-Being of Immigrants in Europe. J. Ethn. Migr. Stud., 39 (10). S. 1535 - 1554. ABINGDON: ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD. ISSN 1469-9451

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract

This study contributes to the growing literature on social and ethnic boundaries by tracing the impact of symbolic language boundaries in 20 European countries. Using data from the 2002-03 wave of the European Social Survey, we show that the language boundaries drawn in different host societies affect the subjective well-being of first- and second-generation immigrants. Confirming theoretical expectations, we find that symbolic boundaries only influence those individuals with limited proficiency in the majority language. Moreover, applying a distinction from theories of ethnic boundary-making, we show that it is primarily the contestedness of language boundaries within a society, rather than their strength, that influences subjective well-being. This finding provides indirect evidence for a major hypothesis: that disagreement over the social location of ethnic boundaries will make them politically salient; this, in turn, affects the well-being of individuals whose status is at stake.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Beier, Harald UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Kroneberg, Clemens UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0001-8838-1087 UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-470900
DOI:	10.1080/1369183X.2013.833685
Journal or Publication Title:	J. Ethn. Migr. Stud.
Volume:	39
Number:	10
Page Range:	S. 1535 - 1554
Date:	2013
Publisher:	ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
Place of Publication:	ABINGDON
ISSN:	1469-9451
Language:	English
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language LIFE SATISFACTION; ASSIMILATION; MECHANISMS; ETHNICITY Multiple languages Demography; Ethnic Studies Multiple languages
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/47090