Learning democracy: The political resocialization of immigrants from authoritarian regimes in Canada

The vast majority of immigrants now arrive in Canada with little democratic experience; they have been socialized in authoritarian regimes. What is the impact of such a socialization under authoritarian regimes on immigrants' political beliefs? Do these newcomers learn democracy? And how do they learn democracy? This dissertation addresses these three questions.;The results are unequivocal. First, immigrants from authoritarian regimes need to learn democracy. Compared to the local population, they are less likely to express opinions and more sceptical about citizen competence. Moreover, many do not believe that the government would listen to them if they were to speak out. Furthermore, immigrants who have little experience of democracy are more likely to have positive views about authoritarian regimes. At the same time, however, they are strong supporters of democracy and of Canada's political institutions. Second, immigrants' understanding of democracy is somewhat deficient upon arrival in Canada, but they successfully respond to the challenge of learning the norms of the host-political system. With the passage of time, their political outlooks slowly start to resemble that of people socialized in a democracy. And third, it seems that immigrants who successfully adapt to a democratic environment accomplish this transition by relying in part on their resources and political awareness.;This dissertation has major implications for social science research. It provides crucial insights to immigration research in Canada and other Western democracies; it helps understand the dynamics of democratization; and sheds light on what it means to be a democratic citizen. Finally, this dissertation contributes to a rehabilitation of political socialization as a field of study.