Analytical steps of the research

To address the main question of the research, and the research sub-questions introduced in the first chapter, I consider the same national migrant group comparatively across localities in the same context of origin and settlement, and across two national contexts. The aim is to focus in on the interrelationship between migrant associations and localities in order to unpack both local differences and differentiation within the ‘same’ migrant collective. I assess the outcomes of this interrelation in terms of the agency of migrant associations.

I take the case of co-development processes between Catalonia and Senegalese regions and consider the co-development processes as units linking localities in origin and in residence. Thus, I assembled a case-study with units of analysis (5 co-development processes) that can be considered cases ‘within’ the case. They encompass five Senegalese migrant associations, four Catalan localities and five Senegalese localities. I establish different types of comparison: across localities of origin (in Kolda and Dakar) and residence (Catalonia) to which co-development processes are linked, and within migrant associations. I explore the extent to which is it possible to attribute outcomes, based on residence and origin, resulting from formal and informal institutions, and the assets of Senegalese migrant associations.

In order to further unveil the epistemological potential of the research’s design, following Gerring’s systematisation, I have undertaken an exercise to discern how the

62Following Gerring’s argumentations, the use of the notation X/Y does not entail adhering to a positivist approach in the research. The aim is to support thinking about the strength and grounds of the analytical design of the research (Gerring, 2007).

case could be framed within an experimental template (Gerring, 2007). Accordingly, regarding whether I see variation in time or through space, in this case, observation and the main data collection cannot account for the longitudinal variation undergone within the co-development processes. That is because in most of the cases ‘I am not there’ when the change affecting the outcome occurred. I am mostly interested in the different outcomes that can be observed spatially and, hence, the analysis through a temporal dimension loses importance, for it is difficult to attain. Considering these factors, according to Gerring, the design can therefore be identified as the archetypical single case study with spatial variation (see Table 2).

Even though this research is more focused on seeking to understand complex relationships than on establishing generalised relations between variables, the application of an experimental template towards this case helps us discern the type of X/Y relationships that the design allows us to realise. Thus, I take the variation of cases in origin and residence in order to explore the outcome of interest (Y) that in this case refers to the agency of migrant associations. In each context, because of the type of questions and units of analysis this project is dealing with, there are factors of special theoretical interest (X, that is, formal and informal institutions, assets) that vary. Nevertheless, in all the units of analysis or sub-cases, migrant-led co-development is occurring, it is ‘there’. In other words, despite what the archetype would indicate, there is not a ‘control’ group of cases that have not undergone (or revealed) any evidence of migrant-led co-development. The agency of migrant associations is supposedly affected by variations in the localities in which these migrant associations perform. Further this difference is measured by considering the variations between formal institutions operating in relation to migration and development and by the variation of the assets of the associations, whilst other background factors stay ‘unaltered’ (Gerring, 2007, p. 71).

Table 3.1. Case design used in the research (empirical template)

Source: Own elaboration by adapting the tables in p.28, 153, 155 (Gerring, 2007) Having explained the general approach to the case-study, according to the conceptual framework set out at the end of last chapter, the analytical process undertaken throughout the research can be divided into three steps. First, I observed how the variation of formal institutions in localities of origin and settlement interacts with the dimension of presence of the agency of migrant associations (see Table 3). This step is developed across chapters 4 and 5. Chapter 4 sets out the main trends that characterise the national and regional policy environments, while chapter 5 explores in more detail the four Catalan, and five Senegalese, localities studied.

Table 3.2. First step of the analytical process, variation of formal institutions in residence and origin, and presence (developed in chapters 4, 5 of dissertation)

Spatial

Presence: visibility and legitimacy of migrant associations in civic and political affairs.

Operationalized as:

Visibility:

• Access to formal spaces, policy definition processes.

Legitimacy:

• Degree to which other social/political actors see migrant associations as valid

• Degree to which other social/political actors see migrant associations as valid players in residence and origin.

Source: Own elaboration

Second, although these formal institutions are not, of course, ‘unaltered’, for the purpose of the analysis I look at them as such in this step. Hence, I do so in order to explore how the variation of migrant associations' assets is interlinked with the dimension of presence of migrant associations, particularly in relation to their visibility in residence and origin contexts (see Table 3.3.). In this step, the variation of migrant associations’ assets across residence and origin is grasped indirectly by examining how those informal institutions, that are relevant in their origin settings, interact with them.

Table 3.3. Second step of the analytical process, variation of migrant associations assets and presence in residence and origin (developed in chapter 6

of dissertation)

Spatial Variation

Factors of special theoretical interest Outcome of interest:

Agency of migrant associations analysis of migrant associations, through an assets-based approach, interacts with the dimension of the weight held by the agency of migrant associations. In this case, agency is only observed in origin contexts.

Table 3.4. Third step of the analytical process, variation of migrant associations assets and weight in origin (developed in chapter 7 of dissertation)

Spatial Variation

Factors of special theoretical interest Outcome of interest:

Agency of migrant associations

Lastly, concerning the comparability of the studied sub-cases – and hence to aid an understanding of what extent heterogeneity or homogeneity within them affects inference of knowledge – the current design has some strengths and shortcomings.

Thus, focusing on co-development processes between Catalan and Senegalese localities allows strong heterogeneity within cases when comparing origin and residence contexts overall. Nevertheless, whereas the heterogeneity within units of migrant associations is sought actively in the selection of cases, there is a bias in favour of the number of migrant associations and localities connected to the region of Kolda in comparison with the number of associations connected to Dakar. Also, the unit of analysis finally connected to Dakar region is quite different in relation to the other sub-cases. Nevertheless, the inclusion of Dakar and the previously mentioned migrant association is maintained for different reasons as is explained in section 3.2.