Citizenship and Participation

Civic and political participation and citizenship – understood both as a legal status and as the lived experience of membership, rights and belonging – are fundamental to the success of resilient, inclusive and sustainable communities. If immigrants are kept as outsiders and excluded from full participation in social and political life, immigration ceases to be socially sustainable. The rise of Advanced Digital Technologies (ADTs) poses new challenges and opens new possibilities for migrant integration in different spheres of social, economic and political life, including civic and political participation. However, while ADTs present opportunities for immigrant participation they are not a panacea to existing and emerging barriers.

This research theme focuses on migrants, immigrants, newcomers, and refugees, notably people born outside of Canada who live in Canada with temporary or permanent status, regardless of legal category of entry (family, economic, or humanitarian) and length of stay. It focuses on how rapid technological transformation is shaping – or not – the meaning of citizenship as well as patterns of participation, trajectories of integration and feelings of belonging of migrants. As with previous technologies – e.g., the internet, social media, e-commerce – ADTs reorganize the context in which individuals participate in their surroundings and societies, while also supporting new mechanisms of participation. To better understand this context and its impact, we are studying the following research sub-themes:

• Citizenship and belonging in a globalized and digitalized world will explore the evolving meaning of citizenship and belonging in a period of rapid (and disruptive) technological transformation and socio-economic and geopolitical change.
• The digitalization of immigrant integration and of immigrant service provision will study the role of ADTs in service provisions and mediating migration decisions. 
• Societal polarisation, ADTs and the impact on migrant integration looks at the role of social media and ADTs in shaping the politics of immigration and public attitudes. 
• Data and methodology issues will study the privacy and ethics challenges of working with and on migrant integration in today’s climate and develop innovative methods of training and engagement.