Coordinators:

Berta Güell
Research Fellow & BRIDGES Assistant Coordinator

Blanca Garcés
Senior Research Fellow & BRIDGES Scientific Coordinator
Contributors:
Ilke Adam, Luca Barana, Verònica Benet-Martínez, Valeria de Berardinis, Christina Boswell, Jan-Paul Brekke, Omar N. Cham, Giulia Daga, Raquel Delgado, Blanca Garcés-Mascareñas, Berta Güell, Juan-José Igartua, Marcello Maneri, Vanesa Martín, Ferruccio Pastore, José J. Pizarro Carrasco, Markus Rheindorf, Saskia Smellie, Kjersti Thorbjørnsrud, Florian Trauner, Francesco Vigneri, and Bastian Vollmer.
This publication brings together the main research findings, outputs and lessons learnt of the BRIDGES project.
During three years, BRIDGES studied the causes and consequences of migration narratives, looking not only at migration narratives as such but also and particularly at the processes behind. As for narrative production, it examined how narratives develop in media and social media. The goal was not only to identify the main dominant migration narratives but more in general to explore which storytellers are key, what circumstances favour the emergence of certain narratives and how these stories spread within and across media spheres. In terms of narrative production, BRIDGES also looked at the role of alternative voices and their capacity to challenge, bunker or displace exclusionary narratives. Here too the purpose was not only to map the main narratives but to understand actors’ strategies and identify the main success factors. Finally, it considered under what conditions narratives have emerged and gained traction in the political debate. A key question here was to explain the increasing dominance of popular and “lay” narratives, characterised by simplistic and emotive accounts, over more technocratic narratives.
As for narrative impact, BRIDGES analysed how narratives determine individual attitudes and policy responses. Making use of experimental methodologies and from a social psychological perspective, it explored the transformative power of testimonial narratives about immigration and their capacity to influence how we feel and think about migration. The project also looked at the impact of EU-funded information campaigns on the decision-making processes of potential migrants. The question was not only to consider whether these campaigns reach their declared goals but particularly how their messages interrelate with local narratives on migration and Europe. The final purpose was to understand the weight of different narratives in the final decision to migrate. Finally, the project has also looked at how narratives shape policy responses. A key question in this case was whether narratives in public political debate and policymaking diverged – from more divisive and populist narratives to more technocratic accounts – and what this meant in terms of policy responses.
Apart from enhancing the understanding of the processes behind migration narratives, BRIDGES aimed as well to contribute to the co-creation of alternative textual and visual narratives together with civil society organisations as well as artistic and media actors, with particular attention to the inclusion of migrants’ voices.