--- title: "Unveiling the Complex Tapestry of Immigration Discourse: A Comparative Study Between Canada and Italy" description: "Explore Immigration Discourse in Canada and Italy: A Comparative Study revealing Diverse Perspectives" image: https://collabzium.com/hubfs/plane-passing-by-sun-cloudy-day.jpg --- [![FAC_SOCIAL_SCIENCE_HEADER_BAR](https://collabzium.com/hubfs/FAC_SOCIAL_SCIENCE_HEADER_BAR.svg "FAC_SOCIAL_SCIENCE_HEADER_BAR")](https://www.uottawa.ca/faculty-social-sciences/) [![Collabzium](https://collabzium.com/hubfs/CollabziumLogoEnglish(Name)-COLOUR.svg "Collabzium")](https://collabzium.com/) - Articles - [Collabzium Guide](https://collabzium.com/en/articles/author/collabzium-guide) - [All articles](https://collabzium.com/en/articles) - Research - [Chairs and Labs](https://collabzium.com/en/chair-and-labs) - [About](https://collabzium.com/collabcrew) [Subscribe](https://20500402.hubspotpagebuilder.com/subscribe-now) [Subscribe](https://20500402.hubspotpagebuilder.com/subscribe-now) [Social Work](https://collabzium.com/en/articles/tag/social-work) # Unveiling the Complex Tapestry of Immigration Discourse: A Comparative Study Between Canada and Italy [![Lilian Negura](https://collabzium.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Lilian%20Negura.jpg?width=32&height=32&name=Lilian%20Negura.jpg) Lilian Negura](https://collabzium.com/en/articles/author/lilian-negura) calendar icon Oct 19, 2023 · Reading time 2 min read [mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https://collabzium.com/en/articles/unveiling-the-complex-tapestry-of-immigration-discourse-a-comparative-study-between-canada-and-italy&utm_medium=social&utm_source=email%20&body=Check%20out%20https://collabzium.com/en/articles/unveiling-the-complex-tapestry-of-immigration-discourse-a-comparative-study-between-canada-and-italy&utm_medium=social&utm_source=email](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https://collabzium.com/en/articles/unveiling-the-complex-tapestry-of-immigration-discourse-a-comparative-study-between-canada-and-italy&utm_medium=social&utm_source=email%20&body=Check%20out%20https://collabzium.com/en/articles/unveiling-the-complex-tapestry-of-immigration-discourse-a-comparative-study-between-canada-and-italy&utm_medium=social&utm_source=email) **By Lilian Negura, School of Social Work, University of Ottawa, and Annamaria de Rosa, University Sapienza of Rome**  Funded by SSHRC (Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council) for 2020-2023  The topic of immigration has long been a point of contention globally, but its portrayal and perception can differ significantly from one nation to another. This divergence is precisely what an ongoing collaborative research project between Canada and Italy seeks to explore. Led by social work researchers Lilian Negura from the School of Social Work in Canada and Annamaria de Rosa from the University Sapienza of Rome, the project analyzes the discourse on immigration in political institutions, humanitarian organizations, NGOs, and among political leaders and citizens.  **Background: a tale of two countries**  In Canada, immigration is generally less polarizing, finding bipartisan support across political parties. The Canadian electorate, comprising 40% first- and second-generation immigrants, largely shares this inclusive stance. However, researchers argue that humanitarian aspects are often overshadowed by Canada's focus on economic benefits.  Contrastingly, the European Union—and Italy, in particular—faces growing tensions around immigration, with the populist Movimento 5 Stelle (M5S) and the right-wing Party Lega per Salvini Premier (LPS) adopting legislative measures against it.  **Key findings: discourse and dilemmas**  The project has begun to produce compelling outcomes that delve into policy dilemmas surrounding immigration in Canada and Italy. These early findings emphasize that both countries utilize social representations of immigration to legitimize their political stances, whether presenting it as a problem or a resource. In Italy, the narrative around immigration, within right-wing political discourse, leans towards depicting migrants as threats to national identity and security, while left-wing discourse reframes this, seeing immigrants as vulnerable victims to be rescued and included in society through works and inclusive policies. **The role of social representations**  The research employs the theoretical framework of social representations, to understand how societal beliefs and attitudes shape political narratives. Social representations offer a lens through which we can examine how immigration becomes a "social problem" in the collective imagination.  **Conclusion and next steps**  The project developed a transnational/trans-continental comparative empirical study of the institutional and policy-oriented discourse of government institutions and political leaders of different ideological orientations in Canada and Italy. More specifically, this comparative study focused on the social representations that shape polarized political and media discourses in both countries, leading to inclusive or restrictive policies towards immigrants.  The research team looks forward to delving deeper into these complex discourses. Their aim? To provide an empirically grounded understanding that can guide more effective and humane immigration policies, tailored to the distinctive needs and perspectives of each nation.    *For more information about this research project or other inquiries, please contact Lilian Negura at lilian.negura@uottawa.ca*  calendar icon Oct 19, 2023 · Reading time 2 min read [mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https://collabzium.com/en/articles/unveiling-the-complex-tapestry-of-immigration-discourse-a-comparative-study-between-canada-and-italy&utm_medium=social&utm_source=email%20&body=Check%20out%20https://collabzium.com/en/articles/unveiling-the-complex-tapestry-of-immigration-discourse-a-comparative-study-between-canada-and-italy&utm_medium=social&utm_source=email](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https://collabzium.com/en/articles/unveiling-the-complex-tapestry-of-immigration-discourse-a-comparative-study-between-canada-and-italy&utm_medium=social&utm_source=email%20&body=Check%20out%20https://collabzium.com/en/articles/unveiling-the-complex-tapestry-of-immigration-discourse-a-comparative-study-between-canada-and-italy&utm_medium=social&utm_source=email) --- [![Lilian Negura](https://collabzium.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Lilian%20Negura.jpg?width=100&height=100&name=Lilian%20Negura.jpg)](https://collabzium.com/en/articles/author/lilian-negura) ### [By Lilian Negura](https://collabzium.com/en/articles/author/lilian-negura) Lilian Negura, a professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Ottawa, boasts a career dedicated to the examination of power relations and the construction of social problems through the lens of social representations. Specializing in how these representations impact the professional distress of social workers, social and health issues such as depression and addiction, and immigration, he has made significant contributions to his field. Professor Negura held the position of Director for the Social Sciences of Health Interventions Research Group from 2014 to 2017, and has been an active member of the So.Re.Com. THEmatic NETwork since 2010. He also served as the Associate Director of the Cahiers Internationaux de Psychologie Sociale at the University of Liège, Belgium between 2016 and 2018. As a principal or co-investigator for projects funded by CIHR, SSHRC, and other granting agencies, Professor Negura places high priority on publishing his research findings in national and international peer-reviewed journals. Notably, his work in Sociologies was the most cited article in 2018, and another was acclaimed as the top cited article 2021-2022 in the Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour by Wiley. His research has been disseminated across Canada, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Great Britain, and Romania. 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