People belonging to ethnic groups either as a result of migration or to historical / traditional ethnic communities, representation and political participation are three major components at the core of many contemporary societies. This workshop aims to gather research papers that can connect some of these components to analyze their dynamics.

An increasing number of migrants engages in the political life of their home and / or host country around the world. Many ethnic groups are in danger of losing representation, voice their discontent towards limitations of participation, or are represented by and support strong ethnic parties. Previous research shows the diversity of forms and consequences of political participation, and illustrates how ethnic groups are politically represented or what are the obstacles for representation. The political representation and participation of ethnic groups remains highly salient in the context of new waves of migration, of de-democratizing trends in several countries, and a process of strong anti-minority rhetoric promoted by right-wing populists in many democratic countries. Although these changes could be observed at aggregate level, several questions remain unanswered.

This workshop addresses these topics from two different perspectives: the supply side of political parties and politicians who claim to represent and include ethnic minorities and migrants and the demand side of ethnic groups who participate and strive to be represented. It seeks to bring together papers aiming to understand better the complexity of this picture and to answer some of these questions, which include but are not limited to:

• Why do ethnic groups (minorities and migrants) participate?
• How do they perceive the idea of political participation?
• Who represents migrants in their home or host country?
• What are the main outcomes of ethnic groups’ participation and / or representation?
• What are the contemporary challenges for ethnic groups’ participation?
• How do political parties pursue the representation of ethnic groups (including migrants in the home or host country)?
  

Target Group, Workshop Structure and Planned Outcomes
The workshop seeks to attract a mix of established scholars, early-career researchers, and PhD students conducting research on the Baltic countries, Eastern Europe and Western Europe. To increase the exchange of ideas, each paper giver will serve as discussant for another paper. The event is multi-disciplinary and scholars from Migration Studies, Political Science, Sociology, History, and European Studies are encouraged to apply. A variety of perspectives and approaches are encouraged.

The conference will be organized for two days (5 and 6 June) and will gather 25 participants. Each presenter will be allocated 45 minutes: 15 minutes to present the paper, 10 minutes for the discussant and 20 minutes for general discussion.

Depending on the homogeneity of the papers, a special issue in a highly ranked peer-reviewed journal or an edited book may be feasible. The workshop organizers have extensive experience in editing special issues for both generalist and area studies journals.

All costs related to accommodation and meals are covered by the organizers. Travel grants are not available, and participants must cover their transport to, from and in Stockholm. To apply, please fill in the application form available below until 25 April 2023.