Canada Research Chair in Family Financial Experiences and Wealth Inequality
Diana Peña Ruiz
I hold a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the Universidad de los Andes (Colombia) with a minor degree in literature. Subsequently, I earned a master’s degree in demography from the Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Brazil), where I had the privilege of being part of the research team at the Observatório das Migrações em São Paulo of the Núcleo de Estudos de População ‘Elza Berquó’ (NEPO).
My academic journey led me to Canada with the goal of pursuing my PhD. I am currently fully dedicated to this endeavor as a PhD candidate in Population Studies at the Institut national de la recherche scientifique, under the supervision of Professor Maude Pugliese and co-supervision of Professor Paul Eid (Université du Québec à Montréal).
As an engaged student member, I am affiliated with the Acfas, the Association des démographes du Québec, the Partenariat de recherche Familles en mouvance, the Canadian Sociological Association, the Migration Research Hub of the International Migration Research Network, and the Canada Research Chair in Family Financial Experiences and Wealth Inequality. These affiliations have enriched my academic path by offering opportunities for exchange and collaboration within dynamic research communities.
Always eager for new knowledge, I have taken various courses offered by renowned international institutions and organizations, such as the Sciences Po, the Zolberg Institute of Migration and Mobility, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, the International Organization for Migration, and the Peace Research Institute Oslo.
If you would like to learn more about my background, I invite you to visit my LinkedIn profile and possibly connect with me!
PhD Candidate in Population Studies
Institut national de la recherche scientifique
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5983-9615
Research Interests
International migration, financial integration of immigrants, wealth inequalities, intersectionality, transnationalism, life course
Research project
Wealth Accumulation and Financial Integration of Colombian Immigrants in Montreal
In Canada and Quebec, some studies on wealth inequalities have revealed marked disadvantages, both among immigrant populations compared to natives and among women compared to men. Existing quantitative research provides data quantifying these inequalities based on immigration status and gender, but fails to identify the mechanisms through which migrants and women are disadvantaged in wealth accumulation. This research project aims to fill this gap by adopting a qualitative approach to describe the transnational financial trajectories that influence wealth accumulation among Colombian immigrants in Montreal, with a specific focus on gender disparities.
This project aims to analyze how migrants manage their finances, including debt, savings, the selection of financial products, and the strategies they employ to navigate financial constraints throughout their migration trajectories, with a particular focus on wealth accumulation. It sets out two specific objectives: first, to identify and describe migrants’ practices and attitudes toward debt, savings, and resource allocation, with attention to gender dynamics; second, to analyze the financial constraints encountered during their migration trajectories and the ways in which they negotiate, adapt to, or resist these challenges, again considering the role of gender. The methodology is grounded in an inductive approach, employing the concept of trajectories as both a theoretical framework and methodological tool for retrospective qualitative analysis. This analysis is based on 30 biographical, semi-structured, and individual interviews.
Publications
Paper
Pugliese, Maude, Prisca Benoit, Mamadou Diallo, and Diana Peña Ruiz. 2023. « The Gender Wealth Gap in Québec ». Canadian Studies in Population 50 (4) : 7. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42650-023-00078-6
Book
Peña Ruiz, Diana. 2019. Migraciones colombianas. Campinas, SP : Núcleo de Estudos de População Elza Berquó – Nepo/Unicamp. https://www.nepo.unicamp.br/publicacao/migraciones-colombianas/
Popular science texte
Peña Ruiz, Diana et Maude Pugliese. 2023. «L’immigration et l’endettement au Québec: un défi particulier pour les personnes racisées». Les difficultés liées aux dettes au Québec. https://endettement.inrs.ca/immigration/