Understanding and Empowering Political Communities
The mass influx of migrants fleeing conflicts or seeking better lives, the growing demand for recognition on the part of territorialized or diasporic minority communities, and the often-defensive reactions of the majority community are all phenomena that require innovative political responses from both sub-states (regions within countries) and supra-states (groups of countries).
While hardly new, these phenomena have intensified over the past 15 years. Dr. Alain G. Gagnon, Canada Research Chair in Quebec and Canadian Studies, is exploring these realities. Using a comparative approach that draws on theories and concepts from political science, law, sociology and history, Gagnon and his team are analyzing how these phenomena affect intercommunity dynamics and cohesion in the context of relationships between citizens and their institutions.
This research will develop innovative responses to the questioning of traditional state models. Gagnon will interpret the notion of conflict—not as an expression of political instability, but from the perspective of a call for democratic deliberation—as a “societal indicator,” with special emphasis on analyzing political tensions in the context of judicial and community pluralism.