Conceptualising migration narratives
BRIDGES defines narratives as those attempts by actors to develop and convey plausible accounts and interpretations of a phenomenon, event or series of events, person or a group of persons. Narratives are not only simple descriptions. By definition, narratives are characterised by a certain degree of stability and consistency over time and/or across space.
The H2020 BRIDGES project aims to understand the causes and consequences of migration narratives in a context of increasing politicisation and polarisation with a three-fold objective:
Academic
Analysing the processes of narrative production and impact, and how they influence each other. BRIDGES studies why some migration narratives become dominant over others and what impact they have on individuals’ decisions and attitudes, as well as on policymakers.
Policy
Fostering evidence-based policies. BRIDGES develops a typology of government strategies to respond to populist narratives and provides policy recommendations on how to redress a tendency towards increasingly symbolic policies in the field of migration at the EU and national levels.
Societal
Creating spaces for dialogue between actors involved in narrative production. BRIDGES fosters the exchange of good practices among cultural entities, civil society organisations and migrant communities on how to build alternative narratives on migration.
