Democracy, Free Elections, and Gender Equality as Perceived by Recent Immigrants

Immigrants in a democratic host society are supposed to support democracy, participate in core democratic processes, such as elections, and uphold its fundamental values, including gender equality. However, it is not sufficiently explored what they really mean by democracy, how they perceive the relationship between democracy and its indisputable attributes, such as free elections and gender equality, and how the host society itself could contribute to these perceptions of democracy. This study aims to contribute to this knowledge. The data were collected in Quebec using original questionnaire completed by 127 adult immigrants. The results indicate that recent immigrants from nondemocratic countries primarily view democracy as a society based on the rule of law with strong social control. They may lack knowledge about free elections, considering them significantly more important to democracy than the possibility to vote for any political party. Contrary to expectations, recent immigrants view gender equality as essential for democracy, although this importance varies according to sphere. Immigrants' conceptions of democracy also signify the most salient characteristics of the social and physical environment of the host society as the most important democratic features. The study concludes that more welcoming host democratic societies may foster more favorable concepts of democracy among immigrants.