| dc.description.abstract | Neighbourhood effect studies are numerous and generally assume that the residential concentration of disadvantaged people, often but not always corresponding with ethnic minorities or immigrants, has a negative impact on integration into society and the ability to get ahead in life. When focusing on the mechanisms through which these so called neighbourhood effects are assumed to operate, it becomes clear that it is simply assumed that people socialize in their neighbourhoods and that the neighbourhood, and the social contacts in them, contribute significantly to people’s social lives. However, to what extent is the neighbourhood really an important locale in immigrants their lives? And, if where you live is less important than who you know, isn’t there a need for a new perspective on residential concentration? In order to investigate these claims, and thus a move away from seeing the neighbourhood as the pivot in determining individual outcomes, it seems important to study social networks. Consequently, this study will not dismiss the importance of the neighbourhood locale, but rather treat it as one piece of the puzzle, incorporating other social contexts of which immigrants can be part off such as regional, national and transnational social networks. Thus, while investigating the need for a new perspective on residential concentration, this study, which draws upon qualitative interviews with 18 Iranian immigrants conducted in the winter of 2010 in Toronto, Canada, contributes to a better understanding of the operation of immigrants’ social networks. | |
