In view of the 23rd IMISCOE Annual Conference (29 June – 2 July 2026, Girona & Online) on “Strengthening Migration Studies through Community Engagement”, we invite submissions for our ONLINE panel on “Youth with Migration Backgrounds and Political Engagement: Intergenerational Transmissions, Political (Re)socialization, and Inequalities”.
Panel Organisers: Dr. Zeynep Mentesoglu Tardivo (University of Milan) and Prof. Simona Guglielmi (University of Milan)
Submission deadline: 19 September 2025 via this form https://forms.gle/UVgTWo3meZN3Juig9
Panel abstract: Classical theories of political socialisation emphasize intergenerational value continuity, yet research on migrant families highlights possible disruptions. While parents may face structural barriers in host societies, their children—socialised through schools, peers, and civic norms—often develop different political perspectives. This raises important questions about intergenerational (mis)alignment, hybrid identities, and the ways in which migrant youth negotiate belonging and citizenship. At the same time, limited research exists on the political practices of young people with backgrounds, many of whom do not hold voting rights in the countries where they reside. Given the growing number of young people living outside their country of birth, it is crucial to better understand how they engage with politics, activism, and everyday performative forms of citizenship.
This panel seeks to explore migrant youth political participation across local and national levels, as well as through single-case and comparative research designs. Therefore, we welcome contributions that address questions such as (but not limited to):
1. How does the political engagement of migrant youth differ from that of their native peers and their parents?
2. What forms of value continuity or disruption exist between migrant parents and their children in processes of political socialisation?
3. How do migrant youth participate in everyday forms of citizenship—such as volunteering, protests, or digital activism—within their local communities, and with what impact?
4. How do institutional frameworks—such as legal status and access to rights—and national discourses on migration shape the civic and political engagement of young people with migrant backgrounds?
5. What role does transnational political engagement play in the lives of migrant youth—do they participate politically across both host and origin contexts?
6. How do migrant youth negotiate hybrid identities across borders, and what implications does this have for their political participation?
In line with the conference theme, this panel seeks to foster interdisciplinary dialogue on migrant youth and political participation. We welcome contributions that employ diverse methodological approaches and draw on insights from multiple disciplines and world regions, in order to capture the varied contexts in which migrant youth negotiate political socialisation, participation, and acts of citizenship. We particularly value contributions that make use of quantitative approaches based on survey data, as well as those that combine survey data with qualitative methods and analyses of digital or web-based data, while remaining open to a wide range of methodological perspectives that can enrich our understanding of these dynamics.
We invite you to submit your abstract (max. 250 words) together with the contact details of all author(s) via the following form: https://forms.gle/UVgTWo3meZN3Juig9 by 19 September 2025.
For your questions or further information please contact