Assessing 50 Years of Canadian Multiculturalism

This paper provides an overview of Canadian multiculturalism, whereby the presented literature depicts considerable issues of social exclusion and a troubling Canadian perspective towards multiculturalism, integration and immigration. This study seeks therefore to enable an understanding of social exclusion in the context of Canadian multiculturalism. Furthermore, in the attempt to make multiculturalism ideologies and policies translate into concrete social practices of inclusion, this paper proposes that the school curriculum, particularly the civics realm, should take further responsibility in implementing measures that guarantee an effective understanding and valuing of multiculturalism and diversity, for all Canadian citizens. An improved multicultural education may facilitate inter-ethnic coexistence and integration in a society that inhabits a diverse population, thus raising the level of awareness and embracement of multiculturalism policies, ideologies and practices in society.

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Beyond General Pronouncements: A Judicial Approach to Section 27 of the Charter (forthcoming)

Alberta Law Review ◽

10.29173/alr1130 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 33 (3) ◽

pp. 551

Author(s):

Vern W. DaRe

Keyword(s):

Human Rights ◽

Current Treatment ◽

Academic Disciplines ◽

Liberal Theory ◽

Canadian Society ◽

Federal Policies ◽

Collective Rights ◽

Negative Role ◽

Definition Of ◽

Canadian Multiculturalism

The author provides a thorough synthesis and evaluation of the multicultural provision in the Charter. He begins by exploring possible definitions of multiculturalism, deriving his concept from various academic disciplines as well as federal policies. The difficulty on settling for a comprehensive definition of multiculturalism is manifest in the mixed signals within both the federal government's Multiculturalism Policy of 1971 and the subsequent legislation, the Canadian Multiculturalism Act. He then selectively surveys the judicial approaches taken to s. 27. Current treatment is sparse and any discussion of the multicultural section is largely subsumed in a general discussion of other sections of the Charter such as ss. 1 and 2. Through this survey, he demonstrates the limited, restricted reading of s. 27 accorded by the judiciary. Finally, the author considers the inherent limits of the section; he compares it to a similar provision in Quebec's human rights legislation, general liberal theory and possible conflicts between s. 27 and other precepts of Canadian society, specifically bilingualism. He concludes that s. 27 must be expanded within its negative role, protecting individual communities and individuals from the acts of others rather than being used as a tool to entrench positive or collective rights of ethnic groups.

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