Theorizing the ‘local turn’ in a multi-level governance framework of analysis: a case study in immigrant policies
| Author | Peter Scholten,Tiziana Caponio,Ricard Zapata-Barrero |
| Published date | 01 June 2017 |
| Date | 01 June 2017 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/0020852316688426 |
| Subject Matter | Symposium on Theorizing 'the local turn' in the governance of immigrant policies: a multi-level approach Guest Editors: Ricard Zapata-Barrero, Tiziana Caponio and Peter ScholtenIntroduction |
International Review of
Administrative Sciences
2017, Vol. 83(2) 241–246
!The Author(s) 2017
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DOI: 10.1177/0020852316688426
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International
Review of
Administrative
Sciences
Introduction
Theorizing the ‘local turn’ in a
multi-level governance framework
of analysis: a case study in
immigrant policies
Ricard Zapata-Barrero
Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain
Tiziana Caponio
University of Turin and Collegio Carlo Alberto, Italy
Peter Scholten
Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands
The multi-level governance framework and the ‘local turn’
This Special Issue speaks to the emergent literature on the role of local govern-
ments in the context of broader multi-level governance (MLG) networks (Bache
and Flinders, 2004; Hooghe and Marks, 2001; Peters and Pierre, 2001; Piattoni,
2010; Stephenson, 2013). Although often applied to European Union (EU)
national-state relations or to federal states, we believe that MLG can also be
used as a framework of analysis for relations between local, regional, national
and EU governments in a broader sense. Furthermore, much of the MLG literature
is currently considering specific policy areas, such as environment, climate change,
social cohesion and higher education. Instead, we will focus on a policy topic that is
currently challenging MLG in Europe in a profound way: immigrant policies.
In particular, we consider the linkages between MLG and the growing import-
ance of local governance in the area of immigrant policies. Although often strongly
framed in the context of national models of integration, recent studies direct atten-
tion to the local – mainly city – level, which has become increasingly prominent and
entrepreneurial in the field of migrant integration. In this respect, we will speak of a
‘local turn’ that we will attempt to make sense of from an MLG perspective.
This Special Issue argues that although there is a growing interest in the local
governance of migrant integration, very little work has been done on the implica-
tions of this turn for the MLG of migrant integration (see, for instance, the seminal
Corresponding author:
Ricard Zapata-Barrero, GRITIM (Interdisciplinary Research Group on Immigration), Political and Social
Science Department, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Ramon Trias Fargas, 25–27, 08005 Barcelona, Spain.
Email: ricard.zapata@upf.edu
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