The social imaginary of first generation Europeans

Abstract

Scientific and political commentators on social ‘uprisings’ and political engagement among second generation immigrants in Europe often refer to quantitative indicators of structural integration in national labour and school systems. Equally, if not more, important with regard to the social engagement and political mobilisation in the second generation, is the transnational transmittance of literature, music, film and critical events in which the fate of second generation immigrants is a central thematic. Such transmission, through internet portals designed for ethnic/racial/religious minority youth, through various micro-media, and through diaspora networks, energise a common social imaginary for European second generation immigrants, or first generation Europeans. This social imaginary illustrates the contested nature of the national people in Europe today, and it is recognised by its forms of representation, the modes of transmission between strangers, and by a specific secular temporal mode. I suggest a continuum model of a social imaginary, where particularistic and universalistic solidarities represent outer points, and where various social identity foci (e.g. religion, ethnicity, anti-racism) are illustrated with references to research on European second generation immigrants. The article ends with suggesting some promising developments for further inquires of this social imaginary in social movement studies.

Keywords:

• second generation immigrants
• social imaginary
• racial avoidance
• transnational