AUTHOR=French Bourgeois Laura , Esses Victoria M. 

TITLE=Using Twitter to investigate discourse on immigration: the role of values in expressing polarized attitudes toward asylum seekers during the closure of Roxham Road

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Social Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 2 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/social-psychology/articles/10.3389/frsps.2024.1376647

DOI=10.3389/frsps.2024.1376647

ISSN=2813-7876

ABSTRACT=The world is witnessing an escalating migration crisis, and Canada, with its historically high immigration rates, is experiencing a rise in the number of asylum seekers entering the country as well. Despite generally positive Canadian attitudes toward newcomers, there is a notable division in opinions about welcoming them. Past studies suggest personal values significantly shape these attitudes, particularly conservation (resistance to change) and self-transcendence (concern for others). However, little research has examined if these values manifest in social media discussions about immigration, especially in response to policy changes. This study examines discourse surrounding the closure of Roxham Road, a debated border crossing between the US and Canada used by asylum seekers. Twitter data collected before, during, and after the closure allows insight into the use of values to express attitudes and sentiments on this issue. The results indicate that expression of the values of conservation and self-transcendence were prevalent in discourse surrounding the closure of Roxham Road and that Tweets expressing conservation values had a negative tone, whereas Tweets expressing self-transcendence values had a consistently positive tone. Analyzing sentiment over time, Tweets with conservation values became less negative immediately after the closure, whereas Tweets with self-transcendence values became more positive. The research highlights the interplay of personal values, social media, and immigration discourse, emphasizing the need for nuanced analyses considering changing societal events and their impact on the expression of values and attitudes.