High levels of immigration to Ireland have left an impact on the economy and society, but arguably less of an impact on politics. Though immigration has been an issue in party politics and the subject of a controversial referendum, the immigrants themselves have had little direct impact on parties or the political system. This article treats the immigrant as the political actor of interest, and through a series of interviews examines individual motivations for political participation, status factors (i.e. residency/citizenship) and finally, how social capital interacts and combines with other forms of capital (human and cultural capital) in impacting the political agency of immigrants.
Source: Irish Political Studies Volume 25, Issue 3, 2010
