Economic immigrants in Greek rural areas: socio-economic integration and questions of ethnic exclusion

Abstract

The current paper, based on field research in two rural areas in Greece, focuses on the attitudes and perceptions of both farmers-employers and immigrants on various aspects of the latter's integration into the local socio-economic system(s). The results show that farmers are positive as far as immigrants' contribution to agriculture is concerned but hold ‘defensive’ views and rather ambivalent, ethnocentric attitudes in relation to a multicultural local society. Additionally, farmers' views are, more or less, differentiated between the two research areas. Finally, immigrants' views denote a positive perception of their integration into their host societies.