The research aims at studying the potential empowerment of Social Capital in Social Association whose funders have a migratory background. By reinforcing existing ties and generating new connections among communities, information and communication technologies (ICT) represent a resource for the creation of migrants social capital.
Psychological studies in the field of migration attest that social integration is enhanced by social capital. Communities of origin and the ones of resettlement play different role in the promotion of newcomers social integration. Nevertheless, researches highlighted that connections between migrants and resettlement communities are the hardest to be established. It could be relevant to explore wether and how ICT implementation can play a facilitating role in creating and strnghtening local ties.
According to the 2017 World Migration Report, the use of negative narratives on migration is indeed much more pervasive than the use of positive ones (Allen et al., 2017). In Europe, negative narratives address migrants as illegal, criminals, source of economic expenses, and victims. These representations affect public opinion and influence attitudes toward immigration endangering bridging networks (Allen et al., 2017; Boomgaarden & Vliegenthart, 2009) and consequently social cohesion. Consistent with this, bridging networks are hidden by distrust, discrimination and prejudice (Beirens et al., 2007; Calhoun, 2010; Eriksson et al., 2018). Conversely, migrants-led journalism reports a more positive image of migration (Allen et al., 2017). Moreover, ICT provide migrants with the chance to self-manage and disseminate narratives that are adherent to their experience, contrasting or replying to the representations disseminated by mainstream media (Nunn, 2010). By doing so, ICT promote empowerment. Rappaport (2000) sustained indeed that narratives constitute an important source for empowerment. According to Siddiquee and Kagan (2006), ICT empower refugees by providing them the tools to counteract their marginalized condition. In our study, we¿ll explore how participants use ICT in order to highlight their willing to actively contribute to community life. By doing so, we aim at highlighting their resilience capacity during the resettlement and the proactive behaviours ICTs can support also for newcomers¿ resettlement. As Putnam highlighted ¿The social capital embodied in norms and networks of civic engagement seems to be a precondition for economic development, as well as for effective government (Putnam, 2001, p. 3). In such a way we will explore how and wether the funders of social organizations with migratory background use ICT in the frame of a community-building strategy aimed at fostering the community development at a local level. Therefore, the present study contributes to the literature providing cases study whereby ICT represent key tools to address an issue of international relevance such as the one related to migrants inclusion in cohesive societies.