Narratives of Citizenship

This project explores the meaning of Canadian citizenship by examining its narratives and how people think about those narratives, with a focus on its relationship to Truth and Reconciliation.

1. What are the state-sponsored narratives of Canadian citizenship?
2. What is distinctive about these constructions of Canadian identity, both over time, and as compared to other countries?
3. What can account for change in conceptions of citizenship and the “good” citizen over time? 
4. To what degree is citizenship constructed in a relatively inclusive or exclusive manner? 

The research project follows a mixed-methods approach, with the research team currently drawing on three key data sources:

• Partnerships with two Vancouver-based service organizations (MOSAIC (external link)  and YMCA BC (external link) ), one Toronto-based service organization (COSTI (external link) ), and one national organization (Institute for Canadian Citizenship) to gather insights from staff and clients,
• Perspectives of policymakers and government employees,
• Content analysis of Canadian citizenship guides. For comparative purposes, the project includes a more limited analysis of German narratives of citizenship as a shadow case, as well as Australian citizenship guides.

• Belonging in Unceded Territory (external link)  (Antje Ellermann)

This project is ongoing, with multiple outcomes being finalized. Teams at both the University of British Columbia and the University of Toronto are exploring partnerships, collecting feedback, and working on publication submissions.

Expected completion date: March 2026

Publications:

Semowo, Elizabeth. 2025. “It’s Black History Month. Let’s Move Inclusion Beyond Visibility.” The Tyee, February 6. https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2025/02/06/Black-History-Month-Inclusion-Beyond-Visibility/ (external link) 

Past events and conferences: 

• “Immigration and citizenship policies in Germany during the Traffic Light Coalition Government (2021–24)”, one-day workshop organized by Phil Triadafilopoulos, co-sponsored by the Joint Initiative on German and European Studies and Bridging Divides, Toronto, Canada, May 16, 2025.
• “Truth and reconciliation in Canadian and Australian citizenship guides,” presented by Lisa Brunner and Antje Ellermann, American Political Science Association annual conference, Vancouver, BC, September 11-14, 2025.
• “Making Immigrants into Settlers: Colonialism and Reconciliation in Canadian Citizenship Guides,” presented by Lisa Brunner and Antje Ellermann, Migration, Borders, and the Politics of Inclusion and Exclusion conference, Belfast, UK, June 15-16, 2025.
• “Representations of Black, Forced Migrant, and Refugee Experiences in Citizenship Guides,” presented by Elizabeth Semowo, Pathways to Prosperity conference, Vancouver, Canada, November 25-26, 2024
• "Liberal Openness, Illiberal Closure, and the False Promise of Managed Migration", presented by Phil Triadafilopoulos, Carolina Reyes Marquez, Taylor Jackson, Canadian Ethnic Studies Association Conference, Edmonton, AB,  November 14-16, 2024.
• “Narratives of Indigeneity and settler identity in citizenship study guides,” presented by Lisa Brunner and Antje Ellermann, Canadian Ethnic Studies Association Conference, Edmonton, AB, November 16, 2024
• “The negotiation of Canadian citizenship narratives in the settlement sector,” presented by Adrienne Bale, Marcela Fuller, and Lisa Brunner, Metropolis Identities conference, Vancouver, Canada, October 30-31, 2024
• “Representations of equity-denied groups in Canadian citizenship guides,” presented by Anjana Donakonda, Metropolis Identities conference, Vancouver, Canada, October 30-31, 2024

• MOSAIC (external link) 
• YMCA BC (external link) 
• COSTI (external link) 
• Institute for Canadian Citizenship (external link) 

Citizenship; citizenship narratives; narrative; state-sponsored narratives