Germany as a ‘social state’: post-migration geographical imaginaries as visions of the good society

Abstract

Migration research increasingly examines geographical imaginaries but typically treats them as pre-migration constructs that collide with post-migration realities and subsequently dissolve. This article challenges this assumption by showing how migrants actively reconstitute the imaginaries of their destination after arrival. Drawing on interviews and group discussions with 47 migrants in Germany, it identifies a geographical imaginary of Germany as a ‘social state’ marked by low inequality and extensive welfare provisions. I argue that geographical imaginaries are not solely a pre-migration factor but also evolve post-arrival through migrants’ experiences within specific institutional settings. Furthermore, this study reconceptualizes geographical imaginaries as multi-layered: alongside descriptive understandings of place, they encompass normative visions of the good society. Through the lens of geographical imaginaries, migrants therefore evaluate not only their own prospects but also the broader social order.