Welcoming communities and the role of religion
Project Lead(s)
Team Members
Zhixi Zhuang, Melissa Kelly, Areej Jamal (external link) , Nilusha Welegedara (external link)
Sub-theme
Neighbourhoods
The 'Neighbourhoods' sub-theme examines various aspects of immigrant integration and settlement in different neighbourhood contexts in Canada, addressing their unique challenges, needs, and opportunities for improvement.
Objective
This project examines the government's efforts to evaluate immigrant reception and integration, with a focus on programs and policies in diverse cities. This project will also explore the role of denominational civil society organizations, such as places of worship, in newcomers’ social integration and how they impact settlement, particularly in smaller municipalities.
The research team also recognizes that faith plays a key factor in immigrant integration. While concerns are being raised about the detrimental impact of faith on integration with the spectre of the rise of religious extremism, religious communities serve as vital hubs for social integration of newcomers.
Research question(s)
- What is the current status of migrant integration in terms of the Welcoming Communities policy programs, small towns' receptivity to newcomers, and the lived experiences of immigrants in non-traditional gateway cities?
- How can place-based approaches be developed to address the specific needs and contexts of small towns and villages in Canada regarding immigrant integration?
- How does the presence and organization of faith-based organizations influence the integration of newcomers in Canada?
Methodology
The project will use qualitative research methods including interviews with key informants from the community and elected officials. A set of small municipalities (of less 10,000 persons) and mid-size cities (less than 100,000) in Alberta and Ontario and countries like Australia and New Zealand will be selected as case studies to evaluate their social, physical and economic infrastructure.
A set of small municipalities (of less than 10,000 persons) in Alberta will be selected as case studies to evaluate their social, physical and economic infrastructure and specifically the role of faith communities and places of worship in welcoming newcomers to the community.
Status
The project is in progress, literature review is currently ongoing.
Expected completion date: September 2026
Key words
Faith community; migrant integration; neighbourhoods; religion
