Il ruolo dei consumi e delle pratiche culturali degli immigrati nei processi di integrazione

Recent scholarship is increasingly highlighting how the integration of immigrants in host societies is also linked to a relevant sphere of human socialization, that is, the extent and how migrants engage in leisure, cultural and arts activities. To address this issue, the research investigates participation in cultural and leisure activities by 300 foreigners, which represents a stratified sample of the most important communities of foreign residents living in Turin, Italy. By implementing multivariate analysis, our findings suggest a positive association between the levels of integration and the propensity to engage in different cultural and leisure activities. This propensity is mostly driven by duration of stay, occupational condition, and cultural background. At the same time, participation in events organized by the community represents the most frequent activity, regardless of the level of integration. Further, through Herfindahl indexes, our results suggest that cultural distance still partially explains immigrants' differences in distinct cultural choices. From a policy viewpoint, our findings help inform strategies for more effective relationships between local cultural institutions and foreign residents. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the relevance of immigrants' cultural and leisure choices in shaping their integration process while influencing diversity integration-driven policies.