Denise Paiero

Denise Paiero holds a PhD and a Master's degree in Communication and Semiotics from the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUC-SP) and is a graduate journalist from the Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp).
She is a specialist in communication and social mobilization, a teacher at the Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie (since 2006) and author of the books "Atos que viraram fatos", on protests in Brazil and around the world, and "Foices & Sabres: A história de uma ocupação dos sem-terra", among others.
She is currently doing post-doctoral research entitled "The construction of the image of the refugee in France: fear, conflict and contestation" at the Philépol laboratory (Center for Philosophy, Epistemology and Politics) of the University of Paris.

Research theme

The construction of the image of the refugee in France: fear, conflict and contestation

This research offers an analysis of the construction of the public image of refugees in the face of the current migration crisis in Europe, more particularly in France. We will analyze the anti-immigration discourse, which has strengthened in recent years in the country, especially during the health crisis caused by Covid-19, as well as the ideas of nationalism and xenophobia. Secondarily, we will observe how the discourse of those who defend the entry and permanence of refugees in the country is constructed, in addition to the public strategies for the defence of the refugees themselves and the conflicts generated by these different points of view. To understand how the image of refugees is constructed, we will analyze how the opinions of the different groups involved in the issue are published and what symbolic constructions are reinforced by each. The analysis will rely mainly on tools that seek to give visibility to discourses, such as social networks and protests and other public demonstrations organized around this issue. We will also examine the coverage of the major French press on the issue of refugees in the country. Finally, all this information will be cross-referenced, which will allow a complex understanding of the formation of the image of refugees from the point of view of the different actors involved in this process.