This book provides unique insight into the economics of migrant integration and the role played by institutions in this process. With a focus on informal institutions, integration is reframed as a complex interplay between migrant characteristics, host society institutions, and the cultural distances that separate them. An institutional economics perspective is offered to highlight the importance of cultural distance on integration outcomes and show how policy interventions can address integration challenges. Broader issues, such as generational change, gender, socio-economic class, and economic decision-making, are also covered.This book presents a new framework for understanding the economics of migrant integration that acknowledges the complex and multifaceted nature of this process. It will be relevant to students, researchers, and policymakers interested in the economics of migration, institutional economics, and economic integration.
Daniel Rauhut is a Research Associate at the Institute for Applied Research of Ageing, Austria, and an Affiliated Researcher at the University of Lisbon, Portugal. He is also Director for the Centre for Migration and Integration Studies in Lund, Sweden.
1. Introduction.- 2. Cultural Distance in Immigrant Integration Theories.- 3. Theoretical Frameworks Analysis.- 4. Toward an Integrated Framework.- 5. Mathematical Formalisation of the Cultural Distance Integration Model.- 6. Positioning the Cultural Distance Integration Model within Theoretical Traditions.- 7. Toward Precision Integration Policies.- 8. Conclusions.