Social Theory - An Historical Analysis of Canadian Socio-Cultural Policies, 'Race' and the 'Other'

Canadian society differs from the US - in particular, a central theme is the problem of reconciling Quebec nationalist aspirations within the economic union of Canada and its English speaking majority. While the U.S solution to 'ethnic' diversity has officially been the 'melting pot' model, the Canadian approach has formally been the recognition of diversity and group rights within the contemporary policy of 'multiculturalism.' The policy emerged from a national debate that attempted...
More Description

Canadian society differs from the US - in particular, a central theme is the problem of reconciling Quebec nationalist aspirations within the economic union of Canada and its English speaking majority. While the U.S solution to 'ethnic' diversity has officially been the 'melting pot' model, the Canadian approach has formally been the recognition of diversity and group rights within the contemporary policy of 'multiculturalism.' The policy emerged from a national debate that attempted to conciliate the French Quebec population, but it resulted in the eventual recognition of the 'Other' groups. This book examines the Canadian socio-cultural policies of immigration and 'multiculturalism,' and the impact on socio-economic and spatial differentiation in Canadian society, with Montreal as the case study. The main objectives are to illustrate levels of stratification within Canadian society and to analyze this within a historical and material framework. The book ultimately examines the state of contemporary 'race relations' in the city, offering a critical theoretical framework and assessing various conceptual schools of thought pertaining to issues of social and spatial segregation. It also looks at conceptual questions, such as the construction of 'race' and 'ethnicity' and the role of the state in implementing social policies. Contents include: Setting the Stage: Differing North American Perspectives * Constructing a Theoretical Framework For the Analysis of Race Relations in Multicultural Societies * A Critique of the Dominant Urban Geographical Context: In Relation to Social and Spatial Segregation * Three Marxist Approaches for Examining 'Racism' * Social Policies: The Role of State Intervention * The Canadian Social Policy of Multiculturalism: The Evolution of National Identity * Immigration and Racism: Implications for Canadian National Identity in Relation to Socio-Cultural Policies * Social and Spatial Differentiation in Montreal.