Naturalization Ceremonies
Project Lead
Team Members
Vince Hopkins, Phil Triadafilopoulos, Irene Bloemraad, Mireille Paquet, Sandra Schinnerl (external link) , Lisa Ruth Brunner, Taylor Jackson, Carolina Reyes Marquez (external link) , Vaishnavi Panchanadam (external link) , Laura Rivera Sanchez (external link) , Nadezhda Zezyulina
Sub-Theme: Content of Citizenship
The sub-theme 'Content of Citizenship' explores through different projects the meaning of citizenship beyond a legal status, as the expression of a collective identity grounded in a shared sense of belonging to a particular national community.
Objective
This project examines how naturalization ceremonies, including those incorporating Advanced Digital Technologies (ADTs), influence new citizens’ perceptions of national identity. The study involves:
- Analyzing discourse surrounding virtual ceremonies in Canadian news media and policy documents;
- Administering a survey to naturalizing individuals, differentiating between ceremony types (in-person, remote, enhanced ceremonies, and those involving Indigenous elders);
- Conducting elite interviews with citizenship judges and key actors responsible for ceremony development;
- Exploring potential collaborations with organizations involved in naturalization ceremonies in Canada and comparator countries.
Research Questions
- What is the impact of Canadian naturalization ceremonies on new citizens’ understanding of citizenship and national identity?
- What is the affective impact of Canadian naturalization ceremonies? Do they enhance new citizens’ feelings of belonging?
- Is there a differential impact depending on whether ceremonies are in person or virtual, if oaths are self-administered or not? If ceremonies include Indigenous elders?
- How does this compare with other countries, such as Germany?
Methodology
The research project follows a mixed-methods approach, including: discourse analysis. in depth interviews, surveys, media analysis
Status
This project is currently in the Data Collection, Data Analysis and Writing phases.
Expected completion date: March 2026
Outcomes
Publications:
Triadafilopoulos, P., Banting, K., & Westlake, D. (2025). The puzzling persistence of multiculturalism policies in Europe (external link) . Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies.
Past events and presentations:
- “Drivers of diversity: How Germany became more open”, co-authored with Karen Schönwälder, presented by Phil Triadafilopoulos, Workshop on Openness, Human Rights, and Equality in European Migration and Diversity – When and How They Have Been Advanced in European Migration Policies, Göttingen, Germany, May 2025
- “Competing problematizations of virtual naturalization ceremonies,” presented by Lisa Brunner, Carolina Reyes Marquez, and Nadezhda Zezyulina, CMS Research Conference 2025, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, May 1-2, 2025.
- “Seeing light in dark times: Karen Schönwälder and the political sociology of migration and diversity”, keynote address by Phil Triadafilopoulos, Conference on the Career of Karen Schönwälder, Berlin, Germany, March 2025
Keywords
Citizenship; migrant naturalization; national identity; naturalization ceremonies
