Over the last four decades the sociological life course approach with its focus on the interplay of structure and agency over time life course perspective has become an important research perspective in the social sciences. Yet, while it has successfully been applied to almost all fields of social inquiry it is much less used in research studying migrant populations and their integration patterns. This is puzzling since understanding immigrants’ integration requires just the kind of dynamic research approach this approach puts forward: any integration theory actually refers to life course processes. This volume shows fruitful cross-linkages between the two research traditions.

A range of studies are presented that all apply sociological life course concepts to research on migrants and migrant groups in Europe. The book is organized thematically, indicating different important domains in the life course. Using a wide variety of methodological approaches, it covers both quantitative studies based on population census data and survey material as well as qualitative studies based on interviews. Attention is paid to the life courses of those who migrated themselves as well as their offspring. The studies cover different European countries, relating to one national context or a particular local setting in a city as well as cross-country comparisons. Overall the book shows that applying the sociological life course approach to migration and integration research may advance our understanding of immigrant settlement patterns as well as further develop the life course perspective

The ubiquitous social science paradigm of the life course approach is, unaccountably, less used in studying migrant populations and their integration patterns. This book redresses the balance, with case studies that apply the method to migrant integration.

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Over the last four decades the sociological life course approach with its focus on the interplay of structure and agency over time life course perspective has become an important research perspective in the social sciences. Yet, while it has successfully been applied to almost all fields of social inquiry it is much less used in research studying migrant populations and their integration patterns. This is puzzling since understanding immigrants’ integration requires just the kind of dynamic research approach this approach puts forward: any integration theory actually refers to life course processes. This volume shows fruitful cross-linkages between the two research traditions.

A range of studies are presented that all apply sociological life course concepts to research on migrants and migrant groups in Europe. The book is organized thematically, indicating different important domains in the life course. Using a wide variety of methodological approaches, it covers both quantitative studies based on population census data and survey material as well as qualitative studies based on interviews. Attention is paid to the life courses of those who migrated themselves as well as their offspring. The studies cover different European countries, relating to one national context or a particular local setting in a city as well as cross-country comparisons.

1. Matthias Wingens / Helga de Valk / Michael Windzio / Can Aybek:The sociological life course approach and research on migration and integration.- 2. Janina Sohn: Immigrants' educational attainment: a closer look at the age-at-migration effect.- 3. Can Aybek: Varying hurdles for low-skilled youth on the way to the labour market.- 4. Irena Kogan / Frank Kalter / Elisabeth Liebau / Yinon Cohen: Individual resources and structural constraints in immigrants' labour market integration.- 5. Karin Schittenhelm:Overcoming barriers. Career trajectories of highly skilled members of the German second generation.- 6. Rossalina Latcheva / Barbara Herzog-Punzenberger: Integration trajectories - a mixed method approach.- 7. Ingrid Tucci:National context and logic of social distancing: children of immigrants in France and Germany.- 8. Helga de Valk: Paths to adulthood: A focus on the children of immigrants in the Netherlands.- 9. Michael Windzio: Linked life-events. Leaving parental home in Turkish immigrant and native families in Germany.- 10. Raya Muttarak: Occupational mobility in the life course of intermarried ethnic minorities.- 11. Andreas Farwick:The effect of ethnic segregation on the process of assimilation.- 12. Reinhard Schunck: Immigrant integration, transnational activities and the life course.- 13. Helga de Valk / Michael Windzio / Matthias Wingens / Can Aybek:Immigrant settlement and the life course: an exchange of research perspectives and outlook for the future