Multiculturalism in

Canada

Meanings of
multiculturalism:
1: multiculturalism as an ideology
(within the philosophy of cultural
pluralism)
2: multiculturalism as a descriptive
term (referring to the current state a
society marked by cultural diversity)
3: multiculturalism as a social policy
(implemented through state
legislature)

Multiculturalism as
ideology
In Canada expressed in notions
and slogans such as:
cultural mosaic
celebrating diversity

multiculturalism as
ideology:
assumes the existence of ethnically diverse
factors that wish to maintain their difference
endorses legitimacy of different cultural
expressions
endorses the ideal of unity-within-diversity
recognizes diversity as a key resource for the
construction of national identity and unity

 demands pluralistic restructuring of:

national institutions
public attitudes
organizational services
assumes primary affiliation of citizens with
the state, but secondary identification with
a cultural tradition of choice is encouraged
implies principles of cultural relativism:

 All cultural systems are understood as

equal as products of their specific
contexts.
But: this does not mean that all
cultural practices are automatically
tolerated as such:
justification for a cultural practice is
dependent on the context in which it
originated.

Historical ideologies for

managing diversity
1: assimilation (anglo/francoconformity)
2: integration (the melting pot ideal)
3: segregation (the colour bar
ideology)
4: multiculturalism

assimilation
based on the superiority of Western values
exclusion on the grounds of race
discouragement of minority cultural
practices
imposition of dominant culture as superior
however: total assimilation is not
perceived as possible; instead: mere
external conformity is expected
recently: institutional assimilation
preferred over cultural

integration
basis of Canadian government policy
since the 1960s
necessitated removal of racist
segregational rules (segregates schools
for blacks in Ontario until 1964)
two-way process in which dominant
and subordinate sectors interact to
create a new identity
formal equality of cultural groups

segregation
cultural groups are divided by
imposition, interaction is discouraged
Canadian example:
institutionalization of the reservation
system for the Native people
But affected other groups as well:
blacks, Chinese, East Indian, Jews

All of these ideologies considered

diversity as contradictory to
successful nation-building.

X
multiculturalism: promotes
diversity as beneficial.

mosaic versus melting pot

Multiculturalism in
Canada
fostered by a weak definition of
national identity
two founding nations dual
character of national identity

The English versus the

French in Canada
The Anglophones

The Francophones

Economic, political,
and demographic
dominance
19th century: the
Anglophones = the
British
20th century: the
Anglophones =
English-Canadians (?)

Stronger and more

distinct collective
identity
19th century: the
Francophones =
Canadiens
20th century: the
Francophones = the
Quebecois nation

The only uniting feature:

citizenship (since 1947)

Who are the Canadians?

Quiet Revolution in Quebec

1960s:
emergence of modern Quebec
re-examined the relationship of
Canadas
founding
nations

Royal Commission on Bilingualism

and Biculturalism (1963-69)
promoted: the contribution made by
the other ethnic groups to the cultural
enrichment of Canada and the
measures that should be taken to
safeguard that contribution
first seed of multicultural policy

1971: Federal Policy on

Multiculturalism (Pierre Elliot
Trudeau)
Cultural pluralism is
the very essence of
Canadian identity

Canada has
no official culture
all
ethnic groups are
equal

multiculturalism
within a bilingual
framework

1972: Multiculturalism
Directorate
Support for ethnic groups and
immigrant organizations, monitoring
multicultural activities
1978: expansion of the Directorate
programs: cultural integration,
support for ethnic studies and
intergroup communication

 1977: Citizenship Act

1982: Canadian Charter of Rights
and Freedoms
1985: Canadian Human Rights Act

1988: Multiculturalism Act

downplayed the bilingual framework,
stressed equal status of all ethnic
groups and right to preserve ones
cultural heritage
shift from support for ethnic folklore
towards promoting positive attitudes
to immigrants
Discouragement of ethnic stereotyping
and discrimination

Opposition against
multiculturalism policy
Quebeckers
older ethnic communities
non-ethnic Canadians, older
generations

Quebeckers
multiculturalism threatens their
unique status
insulted by being qualified as
equal to ethnic minorities
interculturalism: stresses
interactive capacity of the official
culture
French-enforcing laws in the
province

Older ethnic communities

distrust in multiculturalism caused by
changes in immigration policy in 1970s
and 1980s:
before 1970s: preference to suitable
immigrants: 95% of immigrants from
Europe and the US
today: non-whites form 70% of annual
immigration take (more in cities:
Toronto = half-white city)

vague definition of Canadian identity

cultural symbols achieve
disproportionate importance:

Charles Taylor:
the politics of recognition

need to establish balance between

needs of individuals and groups and
the community as a whole

Arguments against
multiculturalism:
ghettoization of ethnic minorities
marginalization of ethnic minorities
catering to professional ethnics
creation of divided loyalties
fragmentation of the society

Selling Illusions: The Cult of

Multiculturalism in Canada
(1994):
Multiculturalism ends where
notions of human rights and
dignity begin.

Canadian multiculturalism
today
recent decline in the
institutional status of
multiculturalism:

growth of immigration
2001: 43% of Toronto
population foreign born

1993: Department of
Multiculturalism and
Citizenship
Department of
Canadian Heritage

75% of Canadians feel

untroubled by their
countrys ethnic
composition

(?)