The role of social media in facilitating far-right networks and propagating far-right narratives ... more The role of social media in facilitating far-right networks and propagating far-right narratives is increasingly documented. However, research tends to focus on far-right pages on social media, thus leaving the users of these pages understudied. Relying on interviews with users of the Facebook page of the radical right organization La Meute in Canada, this study investigates individuals’ motivations and practices when using far-right pages on social media, as well as the interplay between their use of these pages and their view of themselves and society. It shows that users of La Meute’s Facebook page perceive (to varying degrees) that mainstream media are biased and do not represent their views nor address their concerns about immigration issues. As such, they seek meaning by using far-right pages on social media, either as their main source of information or to complement mainstream media. On these pages, they encounter a virtual community of like-minded people, which is conceived...
Forty per cent of Europeans refuse to have Roma as their neighbours, while 80 per cent of these d... more Forty per cent of Europeans refuse to have Roma as their neighbours, while 80 per cent of these do not even have direct contact with them. Using these statistics as a point of departure, this study analyzes how attitudes toward Roma are constructed. It proposes to investigate this process in two similar environments but where local integration policies directed toward Roma differ, resulting in disparate forms of intergroup contact. The analysis is premised on two theoretical assumptions: that the integration of migrants is a local public policy issue and that intergroup contact frames attitudes between majority and minority groups. From semi-structured interviews in the French municipalities of La Courneuve and Ivry-sur-Seine, four theories are empirically tested: the contact theory, the halo effect, the impact of local immigrant integration policies and media influence. This study demonstrates that the implementation of municipal policies in favour of Roma integration can improve t...
It is well documented that the strength of national attachment relates to attitudes toward ethnoc... more It is well documented that the strength of national attachment relates to attitudes toward ethnocultural diversity, and that the direction of the relationship varies across national contexts. Yet, little attention has been given to the fact that attachments may not be expressed solely at the national level. In federal and multinational states, individuals can express attachment to the country and to its territorial units. This study investigates the relationship between (national and provincial) attachments and attitudes toward ethnocultural diversity in the Canadian federation. Our findings indicate that stronger attachments to Canada lead to more positive attitudes toward ethnocultural diversity in all provinces. They also demonstrate that provincial attachments relate to attitudes toward ethnocultural diversity both in a minority nation provincial context (Quebec) and in other provinces (Alberta and Saskatchewan), but that the direction of this relationship can be of opposite dir...
Canadian Review of Sociology/Revue canadienne de sociologie
In recent years, Canada has witnessed an increase in visibility of far-right groups and activitie... more In recent years, Canada has witnessed an increase in visibility of far-right groups and activities. This phenomenon is particularly interesting as it contrasts with the broader Canadian context of acceptance of immigrants and support for multiculturalism. How do far-right groups represent themselves and their claims to the public considering the dominant discursive environment in which they operate? Moreover, are far-right groups' discourse and rhetoric marked by contextual differences? This paper analyzes the way the distinct Canadian and Quebec chapters of the vigilante group Soldiers of Odin (SOO) use their public Facebook pages, comparatively. This research demonstrates that both SOO chapters negotiate their self-representation by employing cultural elements that are salient and meaningful in their respective sociopolitical contexts and that can be exploited to infer motivations. Résumé Ces dernières années, le Canada a connu une augmentation en visibilité des groupes d'extrême droite et de leurs activités. Ce phénomène est particulièrement intéressant, car il contraste avec le contexte général canadien d'acceptation des immigrants et du soutien au multiculturalisme. Considérant l'environnement discursif dominant dans lequel les groupes d'extrême droite opèrent, comment ceux-ci se présentent-ils ainsi que leurs revendications au public? De plus, les discours et les rhétoriques des groupes d'extrême droite sont-ils marqués par des différences contextuelles? Cet article analyse la façon dont les
Quarante pour-cent des Européens refusent d’avoir des Roms comme voisins, alors que 80 % de ceux-... more Quarante pour-cent des Européens refusent d’avoir des Roms comme voisins, alors que 80 % de ceux-ci n’entretiennent pas de contact direct avec eux. Cette étude observe les mécanismes de construction des attitudes envers les Roms. Elle analyse la production de ces attitudes au sein de deux milieux similaires, mais où les politiques d’intégration locales envers les Roms divergent, résultant en des conditions des contacts intergroupes différentes. Cette analyse part des postulats théoriques selon lesquels l’intégration des migrants est un enjeu d’action publique locale et que des interactions sociales de qualité structurent les attitudes des uns par rapport aux autres. À partir d’entrevues semi-dirigées réalisées dans les communes françaises de La Courneuve et d’Ivry-sur-Seine, quatre théories sont testées : la théorie du contact, l’effet halo, l’effet des politiques municipales et l’influence des médias. Il en ressort que la mise en oeuvre de politiques municipales en faveur de l’inté...
Open political debate on immigration and integration policies (IIP) among Canadian political part... more Open political debate on immigration and integration policies (IIP) among Canadian political parties has been relatively limited. As Canada's immigration and integration systems become more decentralized, what about political debates about IIP in Canadian provinces? This article examines how IIP evolved across time by focusing on political parties’ claims, frames and pledges in party platforms and newspapers, using the cases of Ontario and Quebec. In Ontario, IIP were primarily framed as an economic and social resource. However, following the event of 9/11, new frames began to be introduced, contributing to a heightened salience and polarization. In contrast to Quebec, however, this politicization was not sustained. In Quebec, IIP were only marginally a matter of debate until the mid-2000s. This changed following the Hérouxville event, as these topics became salient, and dominant frames of immigration as economic and social resources were challenged by those of immigration as ec...
The role of social media in facilitating far-right networks and propagating far-right narratives ... more The role of social media in facilitating far-right networks and propagating far-right narratives is increasingly documented. However, research tends to focus on far-right pages on social media, thus leaving the users of these pages understudied. Relying on interviews with users of the Facebook page of the radical right organization La Meute in Canada, this study investigates individuals’ motivations and practices when using far-right pages on social media, as well as the interplay between their use of these pages and their view of themselves and society. It shows that users of La Meute’s Facebook page perceive (to varying degrees) that mainstream media are biased and do not represent their views nor address their concerns about immigration issues. As such, they seek meaning by using far-right pages on social media, either as their main source of information or to complement mainstream media. On these pages, they encounter a virtual community of like-minded people, which is conceived...
Forty per cent of Europeans refuse to have Roma as their neighbours, while 80 per cent of these d... more Forty per cent of Europeans refuse to have Roma as their neighbours, while 80 per cent of these do not even have direct contact with them. Using these statistics as a point of departure, this study analyzes how attitudes toward Roma are constructed. It proposes to investigate this process in two similar environments but where local integration policies directed toward Roma differ, resulting in disparate forms of intergroup contact. The analysis is premised on two theoretical assumptions: that the integration of migrants is a local public policy issue and that intergroup contact frames attitudes between majority and minority groups. From semi-structured interviews in the French municipalities of La Courneuve and Ivry-sur-Seine, four theories are empirically tested: the contact theory, the halo effect, the impact of local immigrant integration policies and media influence. This study demonstrates that the implementation of municipal policies in favour of Roma integration can improve t...
It is well documented that the strength of national attachment relates to attitudes toward ethnoc... more It is well documented that the strength of national attachment relates to attitudes toward ethnocultural diversity, and that the direction of the relationship varies across national contexts. Yet, little attention has been given to the fact that attachments may not be expressed solely at the national level. In federal and multinational states, individuals can express attachment to the country and to its territorial units. This study investigates the relationship between (national and provincial) attachments and attitudes toward ethnocultural diversity in the Canadian federation. Our findings indicate that stronger attachments to Canada lead to more positive attitudes toward ethnocultural diversity in all provinces. They also demonstrate that provincial attachments relate to attitudes toward ethnocultural diversity both in a minority nation provincial context (Quebec) and in other provinces (Alberta and Saskatchewan), but that the direction of this relationship can be of opposite dir...
Canadian Review of Sociology/Revue canadienne de sociologie
In recent years, Canada has witnessed an increase in visibility of far-right groups and activitie... more In recent years, Canada has witnessed an increase in visibility of far-right groups and activities. This phenomenon is particularly interesting as it contrasts with the broader Canadian context of acceptance of immigrants and support for multiculturalism. How do far-right groups represent themselves and their claims to the public considering the dominant discursive environment in which they operate? Moreover, are far-right groups' discourse and rhetoric marked by contextual differences? This paper analyzes the way the distinct Canadian and Quebec chapters of the vigilante group Soldiers of Odin (SOO) use their public Facebook pages, comparatively. This research demonstrates that both SOO chapters negotiate their self-representation by employing cultural elements that are salient and meaningful in their respective sociopolitical contexts and that can be exploited to infer motivations. Résumé Ces dernières années, le Canada a connu une augmentation en visibilité des groupes d'extrême droite et de leurs activités. Ce phénomène est particulièrement intéressant, car il contraste avec le contexte général canadien d'acceptation des immigrants et du soutien au multiculturalisme. Considérant l'environnement discursif dominant dans lequel les groupes d'extrême droite opèrent, comment ceux-ci se présentent-ils ainsi que leurs revendications au public? De plus, les discours et les rhétoriques des groupes d'extrême droite sont-ils marqués par des différences contextuelles? Cet article analyse la façon dont les
Quarante pour-cent des Européens refusent d’avoir des Roms comme voisins, alors que 80 % de ceux-... more Quarante pour-cent des Européens refusent d’avoir des Roms comme voisins, alors que 80 % de ceux-ci n’entretiennent pas de contact direct avec eux. Cette étude observe les mécanismes de construction des attitudes envers les Roms. Elle analyse la production de ces attitudes au sein de deux milieux similaires, mais où les politiques d’intégration locales envers les Roms divergent, résultant en des conditions des contacts intergroupes différentes. Cette analyse part des postulats théoriques selon lesquels l’intégration des migrants est un enjeu d’action publique locale et que des interactions sociales de qualité structurent les attitudes des uns par rapport aux autres. À partir d’entrevues semi-dirigées réalisées dans les communes françaises de La Courneuve et d’Ivry-sur-Seine, quatre théories sont testées : la théorie du contact, l’effet halo, l’effet des politiques municipales et l’influence des médias. Il en ressort que la mise en oeuvre de politiques municipales en faveur de l’inté...
Open political debate on immigration and integration policies (IIP) among Canadian political part... more Open political debate on immigration and integration policies (IIP) among Canadian political parties has been relatively limited. As Canada's immigration and integration systems become more decentralized, what about political debates about IIP in Canadian provinces? This article examines how IIP evolved across time by focusing on political parties’ claims, frames and pledges in party platforms and newspapers, using the cases of Ontario and Quebec. In Ontario, IIP were primarily framed as an economic and social resource. However, following the event of 9/11, new frames began to be introduced, contributing to a heightened salience and polarization. In contrast to Quebec, however, this politicization was not sustained. In Quebec, IIP were only marginally a matter of debate until the mid-2000s. This changed following the Hérouxville event, as these topics became salient, and dominant frames of immigration as economic and social resources were challenged by those of immigration as ec...
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Papers by Audrey Gagnon