Research Assistant: Can Migrant Narratives Reduce Prejudice and Shape Policy?

Location: Copenhagen

Type: Research

Term: Semester

Introduction to the topic

Migration is one of the defining issues of our time. While Western societies are increasingly coming into contact with people on the move, public debate is often shaped by politicians and media using rhetoric that casts migrants as threats or burdens. But can hearing directly from migrants and refugees shift those attitudes and lead to more informed policy preferences?

Project details

The idea for this project came out of real conversations with migrant communities in Palermo, Sicily. Through these interactions, it became clear that migrants themselves needed to be at the center of how their stories are told and studied. This project therefore explores the effects of perspective-getting,or hearing directly from others about their lived experiences. Specifically, we will examine whether video narratives, co-created with migrants in Denmark and across Europe, can challenge negative attitudes and shape migration policy preferences.

As a student researcher, you will critically examine how migration is currently framed in media and NGO narratives and then work directly with migrants and refugees to refine and strengthen a perspective-getting approach. By developing and editing narrative videos alongside participants, you will be treating them as collaborators in knowledge production rather than subjects of research.

In later stages, the project will use these narrative videos in a survey experiment to test how different frames affect attitudes, including whether stories emphasizing vulnerability produce different responses than those emphasizing agency and resilience. At a time when migration dominates political debate on both sides of the Atlantic, this research has the potential to inform how policymakers, advocates, and media think about the role of storytelling in shaping public opinion.

Depending on which phase of the project you join, you will gain hands-on experience in participatory action research, narrative design and video editing, and survey methods.

Selected relevant publications:

Ghorashi, H., Fiorito, T., Kisubi Mbasalaki, P., & Ponzoni, E. (2026). Transformative Engaged Scholarship in Migration Toward a Co-creative, Caring, and Reflexive Migration Studies.
Kalla, J. L., & Broockman, D. E. (2023). Which narrative strategies durably reduce prejudice? Evidence from field and survey experiments supporting the efficacy of perspective‐getting. American Journal of Political Science, 67(1), 185-204.

Syllabus

Coming soon

Brittany Perry

Ph.D. (Political Science, Duke University, 2013). B.A. (Political Science, University of Colorado Boulder, 2007). Assistant Professor, Lafayette College, 2013-2015. Instructional Assistance Professor, Texas A&M University, 2015-2020. Instructional Associate Professor, Texas A&M University, 2020-2021. External Lecturer, Copenhagen Business School, 2021-2023. Academic Director, CIEE Copenhagen, 2021-2024. Interim Director, CIEE Copenhagen, 2023-2024. With DIS since 2024.

Additional research application required

You will need to submit an additional research application through Student Registration in order to enroll in this course.
To submit your research application, you must already be admitted to DIS.

All research application materials must be submitted on the following dates by 23:59 Central European Time:
– November 1 for spring semester applicants
– May 1 for fall semester applicants

Complete your additional research application through Student Registration.
If you are not already enrolled, use this link to apply to DIS before completing a research application.

Research Assistantship FAQ

Learn more about research at DIS.

: Earning authorship within the course of a semester is challenging. Exceptional Research Assistants may be considered for co-authorship, subject to evaluation from the supervising Research Mentor.

Though you may not ultimately become an author on a published paper, you will gain many practical skills and insights into the publication process.

: Many research projects last across several semesters, so not all RAs on the same project will conduct the same research.

: On average, students in 3-credit Research Assistantships spend at least 10 hours a week on research tasks. These 10 hours per week consist of a variety of different research-related tasks, including conducting a literature review, data collection, analyses, coding, documentation, and meetings with your mentor. You may decide on a particular block of time (consistent each week) for you to carry out the work, or adjust it on a week-by-week basis.

Students in a 6-credit Research Assistantships spend an average of 20 hours per week with lab and clinically based research tasks. You decide the exact meeting and lab times with your supervisor, but your schedule consists of classes at DIS two days a week, with two days a week in the lab.

There may be peak times in the research process where all Research Assistant students are expected to spend a few more hours, and then possibly fewer hours another week – to reflect the individual research project and process.

: Work for the 3-credit Research Assistantships may take place outside DIS, on your own time at a location of your choosing, or at DIS – this varies from project to project. The 6-credit research assistantships generally take place at labs in Copenhagen or Stockholm outside DIS.

: Students with a variety of academic backgrounds are encouraged to apply for the 3-credit Research Assistant course. While some courses do have prerequisites, many opportunities do not require prior research experience.

The 6-credit Research Assistant opportunity is designed for highly motivated students who have a strong science background within the field of interest and some basic research experience. The student must be willing to commit a large portion of their semester to an engaging opportunity involving hands-on research in universities and medical institutes in Copenhagen or Stockholm.