Sociology colloquium: Bram Lancee (Utrecht University)

Bram Lancee (Utrecht University): Immigrant Performance in the Labour Market: Bonding and Bridging Social Capital

To what extent can different forms of social capital help immigrants to make headway on the labour market? Two forms of social capital are identified. Bonding social capital refers to a dense network with ?thick? trust and is measured as the strength of family ties, co-ethnic ties and trust in the family. Bridging social capital implies a crosscutting network and is measured as inter-ethnic ties. Making use of quantitative research methods and both longitudinal and cross-sectional data, it is examined to what extent immigrants? bonding and bridging social capital in the Netherlands and Germany explain a higher likelihood of employment, higher income, higher occupational status and shorter unemployment duration. Results show that 1) bridging networks positively affect all expected economic outcomes; 2) bonding networks do not affect economic outcomes; 3) returns to social capital are much higher for men than for women; 4) findings are similar for Germany and the Netherlands.

Bram Lancee is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Utrecht University. He obtained his PhD at the European University Institute in Florence. He held (visiting) positions at Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB), Nuffield College at Oxford University, and the University of Amsterdam. His academic interests include ethnic inequality on the labour market, social capital and social participation, and attitudes towards immigration.