Abstract

ARRIAGA MARTINEZ, Rafael. Immigration and discrimination: Towards a conceptual implementation of Max Weber's notion of meaning. Estud. front [online]. 2015, vol.16, n.32, pp.99-127. ISSN 2395-9134.

In this paper, we examine the heuristic utility of Weber's notion of meaning to explain the perception of immigrants in the United States, particularly undocumented immigrants. The methodological rule implying that the understanding of the meaning of such perceptions can only be achieved through the notion of structure and the theory of socialization, as presented by Jorge Bustamante, is contested. We argue that with the notion of meaning comes into play the conception of an individual motivated by subjective reasons when perceiving immigrants as X or Y, and that those reasons, far from being justifications, have a real, objective basis. We advance a comprehensive framework of law SB1070 to attempt to elucidate some of the reasons that motivate involved actors' approval or disapproval of this law.

Keywords : immigration; discrimination; individual; structure; meaning (Sinn).

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