Context
We believe that integrating newcomers to Canada is essential for creating a synergy between them and the long-time members of Canadian society, resulting in true coexistence and more social justice. This is what motivated our team of researchers, comprised of professors and students in communication studies, to study the subject.
Building on the principle of a connection between integration and participation in Canadian society, we were interested in studying the various ways people who have immigrated to Canada use the Internet. Our objective for this pan-Canadian study is to develop recommendations and ideas to facilitate the integration of people who immigrate to Canada.
To expand on our first phase of field research in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary (almost from one ocean to the other!), we hope this website will function like the hyphen in In-tegration. This platform is intended to encourage interaction between different people involved in immigration, integration and research.
In addition to being one of the first research studies of its type in Canada, In-tegration aims to create connections 1) between social workers and people who immigrate, 2) between different organizations working in the field, and 3) between individuals who immigrate so that they may share about their diverse experiences. The hyphen in “In-tegration” symbolizes social cohesion and the relationship building that creates a unified whole.
This platform, funded by Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA), is the result of research led by the UNESCO Chair in Communication and Technologies for Development of UQAM and the Groupe d’études et de recherches axées sur la communication internationale et interculturelle (GERACII).
Research Summary
This research, led conjointly by the GERACII and the UNESCO Chair in Communication and Technologies for Development of UQAM, studies the use of the Internet for strengthening the engagement and empowerment of people who immigrate to Canada.
In an era when the Internet plays an important role in the activities of our daily lives, this research began in response to the absence of information about how people who immigrate to Canada use the Internet. In what ways has the Internet allowed these individuals to integrate? Do people who have immigrated experience digital exclusion?
Principal researchers Magda Fusaro and Christian Agbobli, then decided to focus on a specific aspect of integration: empowerment.
With this research, we are attempting to answer the following questions:
- How is the life of those who have immigrated transformed by using the Internet?
- How do people who have immigrated participate in Canadian society through their Internet usage?
- What courses are offered by organizations that help people who have immigrated and how can they be improved?
To that end, we have decided to focus on young people, women, and newcomers looking for a job.
Our three main objectives in answering the above questions are the following:
1) To recruit and consult with people who have immigrated about how they use the Internet to integrate into Canadian society and to look for a job;
2) To support people who have immigrated and the organizations that help them;
3) To propose strategies for using the Internet to empower people who have immigrated.
In the section « Recommandations », you can learn about the results of our research, certain issues and needs of people who have immigrated, and more.
The Phases of Research
Under the supervision of Christian Agbobli and Magda Fusaro of Montreal, where the first phase of field research was conducted, Layla Belmahi, Jean-Guillaume Loubet, and Stacey Cacéus conducted close to 100 individual interviews in Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary in November 2016.
The three students interviewed people who have immigrated as well as employees of organizations specialized in welcoming newcomers to Canada.
Each team member had the opportunity to connect with organizations across Canada that opened their doors to the researchers and helped set up interviews with people who have immigrated or with members of their staff.
The In-tegration research team has begun analyzing the interview transcripts and is now sharing the online questionnaire, which will help the team clarify the information collected in the interviews. The goal is to have 1500 questionnaires completed. It’s quite a challenge!
Future Phase
Following these two phases, we will develop recommendations for governmental institutions and organizations that assist people who immigrate. Watch for our new results!