‘The scientific output of the programme is notable for its impact both in academia and in society more generally.’
– QANU Research Review
ERCOMER (European Research Centre on Migration and Ethnic Relations) has an interdisciplinary research programme on international migration, ethnic relations and cultural diversity, drawing on social psychological, sociological, political science, and anthropological approaches to issues that have strong and immediate societal relevance. Our research is theory driven, using state-of-the-art (comparative) analytical techniques.
Our research themes
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International migration
Questions related to the motivations and factors that drive migration remain at the forefront of public attention. An understanding of the forces that drive migration decisions can inform research on immigrant integration and identity, as well as policy making on migration, settlement and integration. Some of our recent work has focused on explanations of return migration intentions among recent immigrants and refugees.
Researchers: Mérove Gijsberts | Özge Bilgili | Borja Martinovic | GB Dielissen
Structural integration
Immigrants’ structural integration, and structural inequalities between ethnic and cultural groups in society, is one of the key social problems that is addressed by research at Ercomer. Recent studies have for instance investigated female labour market participation among a range of cultural groups, as well as ethnic discrimination in selection and hiring procedures.
Researchers: Mérove Gijsberts | Özge Bilgili | Floris Peters | Meta van der Linden | Kaja Warnke | Sara Marcora | Valentina Di Stasio
Socio-cultural integration
Whether and how immigrants and their offspring engage in intergroup contact, and how cultural values, political orientations and religious beliefs develop in host societies, are crucial aspects of the integration of immigrants. We study these topics among a variety of ethnic and religious immigrant groups, as well as the European-born second generation.
Researchers: Maykel Verkuyten | Mérove Gijsberts | Meta van der Linden | Marcel Lubbers | Borja Martinovic
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Ethnic relations in the school context
Increasing cultural diversity has transformed the faces of our schools. In the context of interethnic schools, Ercomer researchers study issues such as (lack of) interethnic contact and friendship networks in schools, peer victimization and interethnic bullying, and children’s interethnic attitudes and helping behavior.
Researchers: Maykel Verkuyten | Jochem Thijs | Tobias Stark | Sauro Civitillo | Lian van Vemde | Iris Boer
Attitudes towards minority rights
A key issue in the incorporation of immigrants is the willingness to extend rights and privileges to newcomers. This research line focuses on issues such as (reactions to) the political representation of ethnic minority groups and exclusive attitudes with regard to minorities’ entitlement to welfare arrangements.
Researchers: Maykel Verkuyten | Edwin Poppe | Anouk Smeekes | Verena Seibel
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Ethnic, religious, and national identities
The focus area ethnic, religious and national identities aims to identify the psychological mechanisms that explain social identification processes, to identify causes that hamper or stimulate the development of these social identities, and to identify their consequences, for instance in terms of intergroup attitudes. Recent studies have for instance investigated the role of historical national symbols and feelings of collective nostalgia in stimulating identification processes. Other studies examine so-called dual identities and how these relate to collective action.
Researchers: Maykel Verkuyten | Marcel Lubbers | Edwin Poppe | Anouk Smeekes | Borja Martinovic | Tom Nijs | Anniek Schlette | Tobias Stark
Cultural diversity ideologies
A broad range of policy questions can be brought back to the question how to deal with cultural diversity. We investigate how people think about cultural diversity and about citizenship in a multicultural society. Our studies have for instance focused on the endorsement of diversity ideologies and its consequences for intergroup relations, voting for parties that focus on these issues and on the effects of multicultural citizenship education.
Researchers: Marcel Lubbers | Maykel Verkuyten | Anouk Smeekes | Jochem Thijs | Borja Martinovic | Tom Nijs
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Research assessment Ercomer
In 2019, the Utrecht research programme of Ercomer was evaluated by an international evaluation committee, as part of a national comparative evaluation of the sociology and social science research programmes in the Netherlands. Ercomer takes part in the programme ‘Social Networks, Solidarity, and Inequality’ of the Department of Sociology of Utrecht University. In this research evaluation this programme was evaluated very positive on the criteria quality (international recognition and innovative potential), productivity (scientific output), and viability (flexibility, management, and leadership), as well as on relevance (scientific and socio-economic impact).