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Munoz, Thelma

University of British Columbia

This thesis examines the role of moral exculpation—a rationale that absolves blame through moral considerations and judgments—in shaping Canadians’ attitudes toward the irregular migration of Mexicans to Canada. The primary aim of this study is to assess whether moral justifications can foster more favorable and permissive attitudes toward this type of migration when the public is exposed to narratives highlighting the economic hardships and violence that compel Mexican migrants to leave their country. To investigate this, the study employs a quantitative survey methodology, engaging 808 respondents who were randomly assigned to three groups: a control group, Treatment 1, and Treatment 2. The study tests two central hypotheses: first, that exposure to a migrant’s personal story can lead to more positive opinions; second, that when individuals are informed of the challenges and adverse conditions faced by migrants, their attitudes will become more permissive. In Treatment 1, participants received a vignette describing a migrant’s departure from Mexico without any moral exculpatory context. In contrast, Treatment 2 included elements suggesting the migrant was forced to leave due to violence or economic hardship. The results indicate a statistically significant increase in favorability among respondents in Treatment 2, supporting the hypothesis that moral considerations can challenge negative perceptions and promote more accepting attitudes toward undocumented migration. These findings contribute to the literature on migration and public opinion by demonstrating the power of moral exculpation to shift public attitudes on highly politicized issues such as irregular migration. The study highlights the importance of moral judgments in influencing public perceptions and suggests that emphasizing the humanitarian challenges migrants face may lead to more favorable attitudes and potentially inform policy debates.

Text

2024-10-28

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/89568

Political Science

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/