The State of the Art of Research in the EU on the Uptake and Use of ICT by Immigrants and Ethnic Minorities

The report provides a snapshot on the current state of the art of socio-economic research undertaken in Europe on ICT and migrations. After briefly illustrating the evolution of studies on ICT and migrations, the report provides an overview of the literature (over 150 items) published on this topic between 2004 and 2008. The main themes and disciplines involved are identified, along with emerging research lines of investigation. Based on the questionnaires gathered in the study, the third chapter of the report focuses on European research institutes, experts and the projects addressing the domain of ICT and migration. About 40 expert researchers were identified, working in/for about 30 research organisations in 11 Member States and Switzerland; and carrying on over 40 research projects. Overall, research in this field is carried out very much through networks of individuals (mostly junior scientists, with an overwhelming presence of women) or small groups, with a growing interdisciplinary character. The report concludes that research on ICT and migration would benefit from a stronger focus on user and impact analysis, and a more systematic comparative research across Europe. The authors also suggest a few topics that deserve further elaboration of theoretical approaches and could lead to cutting edge, comparative research in this field.JRC.J.4-Information Societ

The Arab Spring and the Return Intention of Egyptians Living in Italy

The widespread enthusiasm triggered by the Arab Spring affected both first- and second-generation Egyptians in Italy and led to different forms of action and socio-political participation. However, to what extent will this new enthusiasm transform into a real consideration of returning to Egypt is a largely unexplored topic. Relying on the main migration theories, we address the following research questions: which traditional theoretical arguments apply to the intention to return of first- and second-generation Egyptians in Italy? Do the changes in Egypt after the Arab Spring strengthen their intention to return? Presented data comes from qualitative interviews conducted between 2011–2013 with Egyptians in Turin and Rome. The results show that transnational ties strengthened by the Arab Spring support the idea of returning, although a definitive return will probably not occur for the first or for the second generation, but rather they will adopt a transnational way of livin

La galassia fondamentalista tra jihad armato e partecipazione politica

In the epoch of ISIS, terms such as fundamentalism, jihad or Islamism have entered the daily vocabulary. But what do they mean? Where do they originate? How much in them is religious utopia and how much political project? What is the place of violence? This volume, born out of an inter-disciplinary work interweaving Islamic studies, political sciences, philosophy and sociology, sets out to define in the first place the terms employed: political violence and civil life; Islamic fundamentalism; jihad. In its second part it sketches the relationship that Islamist movements established with the modern State in the Middle East, between armed contestation and political participation, both before and after the Arab revolutions of 2011. A third and last section is devoted to the evolution of contemporary jihadism, from al-Qaida to ISIS, in its operational and communication dimensions, with a special focus on the phenomenon in Italy and the responses of local Islamic communities as well as possible paths of de-radicalisation