Beyond Cultural Narratives: A Data-Driven Analysis of How Citizens Define Successful Integration

Amid ongoing debates over integration failures in Europe, this article examines an important yet understudied area: public perceptions of integration. Previous studies have largely focused on isolated aspects of public opinion, especially cultural elements, offering limited insights into how citizens define successful integration and perceive policy shortcomings. This article expands the scope with a data-driven, two-step approach that enables an open exploration of integration attitudes, unconstrained by predefined categories. Using open-ended responses, it captures citizens’ views on what they deem essential for successful integration, while latent class analysis is applied to identify distinct groups with shared perspectives. Substantively, the analysis provides insights into the diverse nature of public opinion on integration, challenging oversimplified measures and bringing to light previously overlooked patterns. Methodologically, it offers a flexible framework for examining public opinion, forming a basis for future cross-country comparisons seeking to enhance our understanding of public sentiment on integration.