Understanding minority feeling among people without a migration background: evidence from five majority-minority European cities

Abstract

In many cities in Western Europe inhabitants without a migration background have become a local minority group among many others in so-called majority-minority neighbourhoods. These inhabitants remain the numerical and cultural majority in their respective countries as a whole. Being a (local) numerical minority does not automatically mean experiencing one’s position as that of a minority, a position related not only to the numerical representation of a group, but also to the group’s experience of (lower) status within society. Using a Social Identity Theory framework, I investigate the characteristics of people without a migration background that feel like a local minority while they remain a national majority. The results show only a minority of respondents who live in majority-minority neighbourhoods actually feel like a minority. Those who do tend to perceive a larger outgroup size in their surroundings, feel socially marginalised, and have a more exclusive understanding of national identity. Thus, people without a migration background who feel like a minority see the ingroup as a truer reflection of the national community and at the same time see the ingroup’s position as disadvantaged.