Global Mobility and Rising Inequality: A Cross-National Study of Immigration, Poverty, and Social Cohesion

Abstract

With globalization, the world has become more interconnected and interdependent, with people, capital, and ideas rapidly migrating across borders. Yet, along with greater global interdependence and increased diversity within societies, economic and social inequalities have deepened, making poverty one of the leading global problems. To lessen poverty around the world, better integrate immigrant groups into societies, and enhance stability, both societies and education systems are dedicated to fostering social cohesion as a key objective. Yet, still little is known about the extent to which immigration and socioeconomic status are predictive of social cohesion. Using cross-national data from the 2009 International Civic and Citizenship Study for 38 countries, this article further investigates the link between poverty, immigration, education, and social cohesion. Findings indicate that socioeconomic status is an important influence on social cohesion of immigrant students and that schools play an important role in fostering social cohesion.

Acknowledgments

The authors contributed equally to this article.

Notes

As discussed in Heyneman (2002-03), a social contract extends beyond a legal contract. It includes a “willingness to pay taxes and fulfil other public obligations; it may include the willingness to participate in public affairs, maintain cleanliness of one's property, act responsibly, or be a good citizen” (p. 75).

Recall that the outcome variables are scaled to a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10.