Ethnicity and social movements in a urban context

Abstract

Ethnic conflicts are increasing in Spain in recent years. Communication media alert us periodically of the existence of an element in our world of social relations which we had thought to be absent from our country: racism. Violence against ethnic minorities has two main target the Gypsies and the immigrants. This paper concentrates on immigrants. Violent reactions towards immigrants are not casual. The, rather, obey certain structured patterns, certain specific models of collective conduct which must be placed in their historical context and take shape under specific socioeconomic conditions. This paper sets out to identify the structural, social and cultural components which support the interests and concerns underlying social organizations that give momentum and reinforcement to the collective behaviour patterns of solidarity or rejection as regards marginalized ethnic groups in the city oz Zaragoza, as part of a pattern of collective urban behaviour in other Spanish cities. This paper has four parts. The first ins concerned with immigration in Europe, and Spain in particular. The second, the peculiarities of the Spanish process of modernization and its influence on the newly perceived phenomenon of immigration analyses according to the theories of ethnic competition and cultural discrimination. The third part explores the recent reactions of the Spanish audience to immigrants through the data made available by recent surveys. The fourth part looks at the structural network of discourse produced by organizations and social movements in the city of Zaragoza that have reflected on immigration and ethnic discrimination and are acting accordingly. This fourth part is a piece of empirical research carried our using qualitative methods of discussion groups. Zaragoza is the capital of the Autonomous Community of Aragon (north Spain) and has a population of 590,000; it is the fourth most industrialized city in the country. It is a “metropolitan city”. The overall population of Aragon is declining, though Zaragoza’s remains stable after heavy immigration from rural Aragon and neighbouring regions, notably from the 1950s onwards.