Immigrant Workers and Class Structure in Western Europe

530 Pages·1973·15.087 MB·English

by  Stephen Castles, Godula Kosack

Immigrant Workers and Class Structure
in Western Europe
The Institute of Race Relations was founded as an independent
body in 1958. The main aims are to promote the study of the
relations between groups racially defined, to make available
information on race to different groups, and to give advice on
proposals for improving relations. In its work, the subject of
'race relations’ is regarded as primarily referring to the social
relationships between groups that are influenced by prejudices
and beliefs about race, but ‘race’ is inevitably related to the
many factors affecting group relations including the major
problems of political and economic relationships. The Institute
has responded to a changing situation by extending its work
and services to members of minority groups and by increased
study of racist societies. The Institute cannot itself hold a
corporate opinion: the opinions expressed in this work are
those of the authors.
Immigrant Workers
and Class Structure in
Western Europe
by
STEPHEN CASTLES
r- to * ^ 3
and
GODULA KOSACK
Published for the
Institute of Race Relations, London
by
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
LONDON NEW YORK TORONTO
1973
Oxford University Press, Ely House, London W.i
OLASOOW NEW YORK TORONTO MELBOURNE WELLINGTON
CAPE TOWN IBADAN NAIROBI DAR ES SALAAM LUSAKA ADDIS ABABA
DELHI BOMBAY CALCUTTA MADRAS KARACHI LAHORE DACCA
KUALA LUMPUR SINGAPORE HONO KONO TOKYO
isbn o ig 218197 I
© Institute of Race Relations, 1973
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without
the prior permission of the Institute of Race Relations
Printed in Great Britain by
Ebenezer Baylis and Son Limited
The Trinity Press, Worcester, and London
Preface
This book is a revised and shortened version of the authors’ joint
D.Phil theses, accepted by the University of Sussex in the Spring of
1971. The research was carried out under the supervision of
Professor T. B. Bottomore, for whose guidance the authors are
most grateful. We were financially supported by grants from the
Social Science Research Council and the Centre for Contemporary
European Studies at the University of Sussex. Special thanks are
due to the Director of the Centre, Dr. Roy Pryce, for his help
throughout the project.
No mental product is the creation of its authors alone, and this
is particularly true of a work of synthesis like the present one.
Much of our study draws on research carried out by other
people. Our debts will be clear from the footnotes throughout the
text. We also wish to thank all the people in Europe and North
Africa who gave up their time to talk to us about the problems of
migration. Much useful information was obtained in this way.
Particularly valuable was the assistance given to us by the library
staff at the International Labour Office, the Institute of Race
Relations, the Schweizerische Landesbibliothek, the Forschungs-
zentrum fur Geschichte und Soziologie der schweizerischen
Politik, the Catholic International Migration Commission, the
Institut National des Etudes Ddmographiques, and the Ministčre
des Affaires Sociales.
We acknowledge with thanks permission from E.S.N.A. to
reproduce, in translation, a passage from Cahiers Nord Africains,
No. 102.
Our gratitude is also due to the many friends and colleagues
who read parts or all of the manuscript, and who pointed out
errors or suggested improvements. Most of the quotations from
French and German sources were translated by Mrs. Fay Castles,
A.I.I.C. The final responsibility for translations, as for all
information and views given in this work, is our own.
Stephen Castles
Godula Kosack

Contents
PREFACE V
PRINCIPAL ABBREVIATIONS USED xii
LISTS OF TABLES xiii
I. INTRODUCTION I
1. Immigration and ‘race relations’ i
2. Immigrants in Europe 2
3. Methods and scope of the study 8
4. Terminology 11
n. MIGRATION TO WESTERN EUROPE 15
1. Industrialization and labour migration before 1945 15
2. Migration since 1945 25
(a) Causes of migration 25
(b) Development of the movements 28
(c) Towards a European labour market? 43
3. Characteristics of the immigrants 45
(a) Home background 45
(b) Regional distribution in Western Europe 48
(c) Demographic structure 50
(d) Length of stay 54
in. POSITION ON THE LABOUR MARKET 57
1. The immigrant contribution to the labour force 58
2. Employment 62
(a) France 62
(b) Switzerland 66
(c) Germany 70
(d) Britain 74
3. Socio-economic status 79
4. Unemployment 87
viii CONTENTS
5. Causes of the immigrants’ position on the labour
market 93
(a) Level of qualification before migration 93
(b) Immigrant workers’ special aims 97
(c) Official restrictions on immigrant workers 98
(d) Discrimination 107
6. Conclusions 112
IV. TRADE UNION POLICIES AND INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES Il6
1. Divisive factors 118
(a) Traditional hostility to immigrant labour 118
(b) Language 120
(c) Cultural background 121
(d) Aims 122
(e) Qualifications 123
(f) The segregated work-situation 123
(g) Legal position 125
2. Trade union policies 127
(a) The dilemma of the unions 127
(b) Germany 1429
(c) France 132
(d) Britain 138
(e) Switzerland 145
3. Immigrant workers in labour disputes: twelve case
studies 152
4. Conclusions 175
V. EDUCATION AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING FOR ADULT
IMMIGRANTS l8o
1. Language and literacy 181
(a) The need for special courses 181
(b) Provisions for literacy and language instructions 183
(c) Problems concerning literacy and language
courses 187
2. Vocational training 197
(a) Participation of immigrants in training courses 197
(b) Provisions made for training migrants 199
(c) Problems concerning vocational training 203
CONTENTS ix
VI. THE EDUCATION OF IMMIGRANT CHILDREN 208
1. School attendance 208
2. Problems encountered by immigrant children at
school 212
3. The ‘dispersal policy’ 219
4. Special educational provisions for immigrant children 223
(a) Language teaching 223
(b) Maintaining the original language and culture 227
5. Higher education and employment prospects for
immigrant children 233
(a) Immigrant children in higher education 233
(b) Immigrant school-leavers 234
vii. housing 240
1. The general housing situation 240
2. Special housing for immigrant workers 244
(a) Scope of special housing 244
(b) Housing provided solely by the employers 248
(c) Publicly financed hostels for single workers 254
(d) Advantages and disadvantages of special housing 257
3. The private housing market 266
(a) Discrimination 266
(b) Germany 268
(c) Switzerland 271
(d) Britain 275
(e) France 285
4. Public housing 304
5. Conclusions 312
VIII. PROBLEMS OF ADAPTATION 318
1. Health 318
(a) State of health at the time of migration 318
(b) Health among immigrant populations 325
(c) Mental health 335
(d) Industrial accidents 340
2. Criminality 341
(a) Immigrants’ rate of criminality 341
(b) Types of crime committed by immigrants 344
(c) Discrimination against immigrants in the
administration of justice 352