1 / 29

Diversity

Diversity. David Last. Readings. Trudeau “ Statement on Multiculturalism ” Russell et al., 133-134 Bouchard and Taylor, “report on accommodation practices”, Russell et al., 150-156. Yasmeen Abu-Laban, “Diversity in Canadian Politics”, Bickerton & Gagnon, 301-322.

ojal
Download Presentation

Diversity

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Diversity David Last

  2. Diversity Readings • Trudeau “Statement on Multiculturalism” Russell et al., 133-134 • Bouchard and Taylor, “report on accommodation practices”, Russell et al., 150-156. • Yasmeen Abu-Laban, “Diversity in Canadian Politics”, Bickerton & Gagnon, 301-322. • Alfred and Wasáse, “Indigenous Pathways of Action and Freedom”, Russell et al., 175-180.

  3. Diversity Outline • What is “diversity”? • Trudeau (1971): from B&B to multiculturalism • Kymlicka (2008): Language, race (phenotype), religion (gender?) • Comprehensive conceptual mapping? • Practical implications • Statutory obligations • Official Languages Act, 1963, 1969, 2003 • Multiculturalism Act, 1988 • Employment Equity Act, 1995 • Social science perspectives – EDG • Comparative questions: What works? • Empirical questions: political culture and representation of women

  4. Diversity What you are missing…. Aboriginal Issues • The Changing relationship • Riel Rebellion • Treaties, Indian Act • Aboriginal Rights • Land claims • Self-government • Indigenous Rights Gender issues • Suffrage • Political participation • “Waves” of feminist action • Anti-feminism • Gender equity (gentlemen, you also have a gender, but men and women are not the only two genders)

  5. Diversity Five Genders? Or Six? • Female • Male • Hermaphrodite • Male-bodied living as female • Female-bodied living as male • Twin-spirited • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9VmLJ3niVo

  6. Diversity Definitions of Diversity • Variety or difference • What differences are significant? • Genotype, phenotype • Geographic region of birth over generations (indigenous peoples) • Gender, sexual orientation • Language, religion • What differences are acknowledged? • How are differences managed within political structures? • Norms, customs, rules • Agendas and assumptions • Rights and accommodations

  7. Diversity Trudeau’s Policy Statement, 1971 • Assist all cultural groups to grow and contribute • Assist members of all cultural groups to overcome barriers to full participation in Canadian society • Promote creative encounters and interchange • Assist immigrants to acquire at least one of Canada's official languages “The sense of identity developed by each citizen as a unique individual is distinct from his national allegiance. There is no reason to suppose that a citizen who identifies himself with pride as a Chinese-Canadian, who is deeply involved in the cultural activities of the Chinese community in Canada, will be less loyal or concerned with Canadian matters than a citizen of Scottish origin who takes part in a bagpipe band or highland dancing group. Cultural identity is not the same thing as allegiance to a country.”

  8. Diversity Three lives of Multiculturalism • Will Kymlicka (April, 2008) podcast (link on web site) • Is it time to bury the policy? • Kymlicka argues that it is still relevant, but must adapt, as it has in the past • Three stages: • The logic of language-based ethnicity • 1970s, race and racial discrimination • 2000, religions making claims on public life • Evolution was ad hoc,but this has been a strength of the policy • The adaptation of multiculturalism to the demands of ethnicity and race have prepared it well to deal with politicized religion • Key goals in 1971 were national unity and human rights

  9. Diversity Mapping “Ethnicity” and Identity

  10. Diversity Sources of Identity • Physical differences • Language • Norms against inter-marriage • Religion • Negative historical memories (see link to sources of identity scheme for EDG on web site) • Phenotype • Ideology • Religion • Language • Culture • Individual narratives • Collective narratives

  11. Diversity Stats Canada Definition • “Ethnicity is a difficult concept to measure and there is no internationally recognized classification for this concept. In general, data for a group is published if the count is about 500 or higher. • “A single ethnic origin response occurs when a respondent provides one ethnic origin only. For example, in 2006, about 568,510 people stated that their only ethnic origin was Scottish. • “A multiple response occurs when a respondent provides two or more ethnic origins. For example, about 4,151,340 people in 2006 gave a response which included Scottish and one or more other ethnic origins.” • We have multiple identities

  12. Diversity Implications of Diverse Identities • Problem of identity-based conflict • Percentages and tipping points? • Strategies for managing diversity • Rational actors, fifth columns, and political risk management? • Islam in Paris: • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vuY0v7mt_E • Race riots in Paris • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yo7dhp5_u0c • Think about your reaction to these YouTube clips

  13. Diversity Folk Devils and Moral Panics • Stanley Cohen (1987) described a “moral panic” as worry that the values and principles which society upholds may be in jeopardy– a sense of society under threat • Folk devils are conditions, episodes, persons or groups which become defined as a threat to societal values and interests. [Cohen, 1987: 9] • Mass media images help to create these panics and targets of hostility • They can be part of cycles of inter-ethnic violence, usually associated with violence by a majority against a minority, though often a rising minority, or a successful minority: • Anti-semitism, racism, prejudice, and event genocide

  14. Diversity Statutory Obligations • National unity and human rights are basic protections against the social tendency to seek scapegoats and victims to blame for social problems • Beyond the Charter, legislation has shaped our national institutions to accommodate • Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism • Official Languages Act,1969, 2003 • Multiculturalism Act, 1988 • Employment Equity Act, 1995

  15. Diversity Royal Commission B&B • Laurendeau and Dunton, 1967-1970 • Book 1 – official languages (1967) • Book 2 – education (1968) • Book 3 – the work world (1969) • Book 4 – the contribution of other ethnic groups (1969) “Multiculturalism within a bilingual framework” • Book 5 – the federal capital (1970) • Book 6 – voluntary associations (1970) Consequence: an emerging rights-based consensus that predated the Charter

  16. Diversity Official Languages Act, 1969, 2003 • Right to government service in both languages • Federal courts in both languages • Laws and regulations in both languages • Equal status of French and English • National Capital Region is bilingual • Commissioner of Official Languages • Provision for the preservation and promotion of minority language rights

  17. Diversity Multiculturalism Act, 1988 • Every Canadian receives equal treatment, respecting diversity • Recognizes and protects Canada's multicultural heritage, within a bilingual framework • Other languages may be used, but only French and English are official [implicitly acknowledged costs of bilingualism] • Recognizes aboriginal rights • All groups have rights to enjoy their own culture • Annual Report on the Operation of the Multiculturalism Act, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, 2009 • http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/publications/multi-report2008/part1.asp • 2006 Census – Canada is increasingly diverse

  18. Diversity Diversity in Canada – Census • Statistics Canada reports compare 1996, 2001 and 2006 census data for diversity by census metropolitan area • http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/92-596/index.cfm?Lang=eng

  19. Diversity Visible Minorities by Province, 1996-2006 http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/92-596/figure2.cfm?Lang=eng&LINE_ID=901&T=PR

  20. Diversity Employment Equity Act, 1995 • Federally regulated employers must provide equal opportunity to four designated groups: • Women • Aboriginals • Disabled • Visible Minorities • The Canadian Human Rights Commission is responsible for ensuring compliance • Compliance audit begins with an audit questionnaire, which relies on self-identification • (time permitting, a short digression on what employment equity means for RMC recruiting, shortfalls, and special measures)

  21. Diversity Social Science Perspectives on Diversity • Major collaborative research project – Ethnicity and Democratic Governance • http://www.queensu.ca/edg/index.html • Political Autonomy and Divided Societies: Imagining Democratic Alternatives in Complex Settings • Ethnic Politics and the Making and Unmaking of Constitutions in Africa, Special Issue of Canadian Journal of African Studies 2009 - Volume 43 Issue 3 • Constitutionalism in Divided Societies 
Special Issue of the International Journal of Constitutional Law (I·CON) October 2007 - Edited by SujitChoudhry, Volume 5, Issue 4 • Comparative questions: What works, how and why? • Example: empirical questions about political culture and the representation of women

  22. Diversity Real World Research… Mechanism Output What works in one context doesn’t necessarily work in another

  23. Pippa Norris and RonaldInglehart (2001) Journal of Democracy 12:1, 126-140 Lack of gender equality in political representation undermines democracy Nordic parliaments: 38 percent Americas: 15 percent Asia: 14 percent Non-nordic Europe: 14 percent Sub-saharan Africa: 12 percent Pacific: 11 percent What are the explanations? Diversity Cultural Obstacles to Equal Representation

  24. The eligibility pool helps determine who can run for office: occupation, education, and socioeconomic status of women Lower socioeconomic status reduces prospects; poorer countries have smaller pool of potentially eligible women BUT many countries with similar socioeconomic structures have different proportions of women in office, e.g. Canada, 20% US, 13% Netherlands 36% Italy 11% Comparison suggests that social and political structures are not the main causal factor Diversity Social Structures and Political Institutions

  25. We can augment structural and institutional explanations by considering the importance of political culture Socialization theories emphasize the importance of gender roles, especially egalitarian or traditional attitudes towards women These attitudes influence whether women come forward, and how successful they will be Survey data confirm: There are wide differences in attitudes towards women as political leaders Traditional attitudes are a major barrier to election of women Culture continues as a factor, even when institutional changes are made As a result of modernization, attitudes are changing rapidly among the younger generation Diversity Cultural Barriers

  26. Diversity Attitudes towards Women’s Political Leadership Rank the statement – “on the whole, men make better political leaders than women do.” on a four point scale, where 1 is strongly disagree and 4 is strongly agree.

  27. Norris and Inglehart have used comparative data to demonstrate that political culture is the decisive factor in explaining poor participation of women in most electoral systems Altering deep-seated attitudes may be difficult, but is more important than minor institutional changes. Diversity Implications for Change

  28. Diversity Summary • What is “diversity”? • Trudeau (1971): from B&B to multiculturalism • Kymlicka (2008): Language, race (phenotype), religion (gender?) • Comprehensive conceptual mapping? • Practical implications • Statutory obligations • Official Languages Act, 1963, 1969, 2003 • Multiculturalism Act, 1988 • Employment Equity Act, 1995 • Social science perspectives – EDG • Comparative questions: What works? • Empirical questions: political culture and representation of women

  29. Diversity Questions for discussion • How do we measure diversity? • What institutions help states to accommodate diversity? • As officers in the CF, what legislation shapes our operating environment, and why does this legislation have security implications? • Using the Norris and Inglehart article as a pattern, how might you explore barriers to minority representation, and what might you expect to find?

More Related