The Public Sphere of the Migrant: A Research on Turkey-origin Workers in Germany

This research analyses the participation and representation of Turkish immigrant metal workers through trade unions and works councils in Ruhr Region (Germany) within the scope of the relation among migrants’ own transnational social space with the public sphere that they share with native workers. Based on a field study including surveys, in-depth interviews and focus groups between November 2015 and January 2016, this research aims to synthesise “transnational social space” approach together with the “public sphere” theory and lifeworld-system dichotomy of Habermas in order to have a deeper understanding of the dynamics of immigrant-native/citizen relations. Trade unions and works councils shall provide a fertile ground for field study to develop the theoretical framework. In these organizations, migrants share a common public sphere with native workers, join democratic mechanisms and they also work together with other migrants associated to various sub-transnational social spaces. Based on the experiences of Turkish immigrant workers’ over 50-year long immigration to the Western Europe research focuses on the role of social organisations for the representation and participation of immigrants within the democratic system together with natives/citizens.