Giorgia Zogu
Giorgia Zogu
Researcher
Center for Migration and Diversity
About
My PhD project focuses on the political engagement of immigrants in 9 rural communities in Piedmont, Lazio, and Campania, Italy. Specifically, I explore how the characteristics of these rural areas influence the political participation of people with migration backgrounds. In rural areas, political participation can look different compared to urban centers, where immigrants may have more established networks and institutional support. I seek to uncover the unique challenges and opportunities faced by immigrants in smaller communities, as well as the factors that encourage them to get involved in both institutional and non-institutional forms of participation. Understanding how immigrants engage civically and politically in rural areas has profound implications for policy-making and integration efforts. Rural communities are often underrepresented in research, yet they play a significant role in shaping the experiences of migrants in Europe. My work aims to highlight these dynamics, offering insights that could inform more inclusive and effective political structures in rural settings, not just in Italy, but across similar regions worldwide. While I mostly focus on qualitative methods, especially in my PhD research, I also have a background in statistics, which I developed during my Master's degree specialization.
During the fieldwork for my PhD, I had the opportunity to conduct research as a guest at several institutions, including the University La Sapienza in Rome, the University of Salerno, and the Forum Internazionale ed Europeo di Ricerche sull’Immigrazione (FIERI) in Turin.
My PhD project is funded by the Institute for Minority Rights at Eurac Research, in collaboration with the University of Vienna under the supervision of Univ.-Prof. Dr. Sieglinde Rosenberger and Verena Wisthaler, PhD.
Publications:
Zogu, G. (2024). Persone con background migratorio e partecipazione politica, In Nuovi volti e vecchi luoghi. Paesaggi migratori in Alto Adige/Südtirol, Edition Raetia, Bolzano. ISBN 978-88-7223-431-0: 107-119.
Zogu, G., & Schönthaler, S. (2024). Selective Inclusion? Insights Into Political Parties' Recruitment of Immigrant Background Candidates in Bolzano. Politics and Governance, 12. doi:https://doi.org/ 10.17645/pag.7453
Zogu, G. (2024). Aree Rurali e Partecipazione: Cosa Cercare? https://doi.org/10.57708/ BDYJCL6QJRUA7GZQUFALZUQ
Zogu, G., Schönthaler, S. (2024). Selektiv-inklusiv? Die Repräsentation von Kandidierenden mit Migrationshintergrund in politischen Parteien in Südtirol. https://doi.org/10.57708/ bf1dbbw7oqesuaztsfpk0wa
Zogu, G. (2024). Patterns of Immigrants’ Political Participation in Rural Italy. ECMI Minorities Blog. https:// doi.org/10.53779/SMCA5211
Meissl, K., Vogrin, D., Zogu, G. (2021). »Alles das, was in Italienisch gesagt wird, trifft mich direkter«. Eine qualitative Untersuchung der Identitätskonstruktion und des Spracherlebens junger Italiener in Wien. Wiener Linguistische Gazzette (WLG), 87 (2021): 109–136.
Wisthaler, V., Schönthaler, S., Zogu, G. (2021). Migrant/-innen als Kandidat/innen bei den Südtiroler Gemeinderatswahl 2021: Zwischen Repräsentation und Parteistrategie, In Politika - Das Südtiroler Jahrbuch für Politik 2021, Edition Raetia. Bozen.