Abstract
This study is a single case study of the evolution on the Spanish immigration policy field. The research question of the study is divided into two main focuses, one empirical and one theoretical. The first is what are the changes in the Spanish immigration policy and in the administrative organization of the policy field since 1985 up until today? The second, more theoretically oriented research question is how well do the three perspectives from organizational theory account for these changes?
By using the different perspectives of organizational theory, it is argued that it has been possible to reach a comprehensive understanding of the Spanish immigration policy field. The instrumental perspective focuses on the changes of formal structures and regulations. The cultural perspective has shown that the institutional context of the Spanish economy has severely limited the options open to politicians on the field. Finally, the myth perspective has been able to reveal disparities between symbolic statements by Spanish political actors and the actions that they have pursued in practice when it comes to immigration policy.