Narratives of Citizenship

Project Overview

Citizenship is more than legal status; it represents a collective identity that is imagined through, and reproduced by, state-sponsored narratives of nationhood and belonging. Narratives of citizenship are instilled by various institutions throughout one’s life. For newcomers, cultural orientation, language classes, and citizenship study guides/tests play a key role in conveying these narratives.

Government-sponsored narratives of citizenship often differ from lived experience. They can obscure inequities in access and belonging and foster a selective form of patriotism that overlooks historical realities like colonialism.

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. We are drawing on three key data sources:

  • Partnerships with two Vancouver-based service organizations (MOSAIC and YMCA BC) and one Toronto-based service organization (COSTI) to gather insights from staff and clients,
  • Perspectives of policymakers and government employees,
  • Content analysis of Canadian citizenship guides.

A Toronto-based community partner is also in the process of being added. The project includes a more limited analysis of German narratives of citizenship as a shadow case.

Research Questions

  • How have state-sponsored narratives of Canadian citizenship directed at newcomers evolved over time?
  • To what extent is citizenship constructed as an inclusive or exclusive category?  How are the historical experiences of different groups—particularly those impacted by settler colonialism, systemic marginalization, and other historic injustices—represented in these constructions?
  • How do newcomers learn, interpret, and engage with these narratives of citizenship?

Methods

  • Art-Based Methods (Photovoice)
  • Focus Groups
  • In-depth Interviews
  • Qualitative Content Analysis
  • Surveys

Collaborators

UBC Centre for Migration Studies

Research Assistants:

  • Anjana Donakonda (Master’s Student, Public Policy and Global Affairs)
  • Cindy Robin (Doctoral Student, Political Science)
  • Elizabeth Semowo (Master’s Student, Public Policy and Global Affairs)
  • Claudia Serrano (Doctoral Student, Political Science)

University of Toronto

MOSAIC

YMCA BC


COSTI

Outputs

Media Coverage

Semowo, Elizabeth. 2024. “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/

Presentations

“Truth, reconciliation, and an evolving national identity,” presented by Lisa Brunner and Antje Ellermann as part of the panel “Impact of changing identities and public perceptions on newcomer experiences,” AMSSA Leadership Forum, September 25, 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.

“Narratives of Indigeneity and settler identity in citizenship study guides,” presented by Lisa Brunner and Antje Ellermann, Canadian Ethnic Studies Association conference, November 16, 2024.

“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.

Project Status

This project is currently in the Data Collection and Data Analysis phases.

Featured News

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Elizabeth Semowo on how Canadian citizenship guides shape perceptions of blackness

 
Canada’s citizenship guides have long shaped national identity, often overlooking Black history. Elizabeth Semowo examines their impact on perceptions of Blackness.
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This research was undertaken thanks in part to funding from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund.