Immigration and civil society New ways of democratic transformation

Abstract

In this special issue, we consider it essential to understand the potential of “democratic transformation”, fostered by civil society, not as a transition to democracy but as a way of deepening democracy. In our understanding democratic transformation is based on the power of organized civil society actors to challenge the institutional order rather than an achievement measured against the main characteristics of representative democracy. The seven papers which constitute this special issue all deal with different aspects of immigration, civil society and democratic transformations. Together they offer insight into different national cases by describing and analyzing immigrant mobilization in Denmark (Jørgensen), France (Suárez-Krabbe), Italy (Ambrosini), Portugal (Abrantes), Spain (García; Suárez-Krabbe), Sweden (Ålund et al.), the Netherlands (Suárez-Krabbe), and United Kingdom (Suárez-Krabbe).