Perceived group discrimination and the integration paradox in stigmatized neighborhoods

Abstract

ABSTRACT Residents of “European Banlieues,” or stigmatized neighborhoods in urban peripheries across Europe, are frequent targets of discrimination. Scholars have previously found evidence of an “integration paradox,” where the most integrated people with foreign backgrounds perceive the most discrimination. In this research note, we evaluate whether the integration paradox extends to migrant-origin residents of “Banlieues.” Using an original two-wave panel survey of those with foreign backgrounds from two of Sweden's most deprived neighborhoods, we evaluate which subsets are most likely to perceive the most group discrimination and whether perceived group discrimination matters for their political incorporation. Our findings indicate the presence of an integration paradox in these communities, where greater acculturation is associated with less integration and more perceived marginalization: native-born residents are consistently more likely than foreign-born ones to report group discrimination. Moreover, perceptions of group discrimination are not without political consequence: discrimination reduces trust in national institutions and in ordinary Swedes, and is associated with a weaker Swedish national identity. These findings highlight evidence of pockets of discrimination in diverse and disadvantaged neighborhoods in European welfare states, and point to the detrimental consequences of perceived systematic exclusion.