What is Canadian Identity?

Multiculturalism& National Identity

Canadian Multiculturalism Act (proposed 1971, enacted 1988)

The ideal

Québec First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Regionalism (Thirteen Solitudes) Hongcouver syndrome Self-segregation in ethnic enclaves

Some of the realities

Action: The October Crisis of 1970 (NFB documentary, dir. Robin Spry, 1973)

Watch entire film online at http://www.nfb.ca/film/action_the_october_crisis_of_1970

October 17, 1970

The body of kidnapped Labour Minister Pierre Laporte is found in the trunk of the car in which he was kidnapped. He had been strangled.

Two Solitudes

Two Solitudes

First Nations

Regionalism: Thirteen Solitudes

Hongcouver

Self-segregation

National boundaries, like ethnic boundaries, are human creations.

There are 8,000 distinctive cultural groups in the world, living in the 191 nations that comprise the United Nations.

Each distinctive cultural group could not be granted its own territory (even if that were desirable).

Why pluralism is unavoidable

Three principles of democracy:

Human beings are created equal.

They should have as much liberty as possible.

The government should be neutral, not offer advantages and disadvantages to some citizens but not to others; government should not be discriminatory.

Democracy and pluralism

How to treat people as equal and give them freedom when they are all so different, and want different freedoms, etc.

How much accommodation should the majority be willing to make to minority rights?

Should minority groups receive more than just tolerance? Should subcultures be given special treatment, help, special rights, funding, etc.

Challenges for a pluralistic democracy

Practising substantive equality

John Rawls thought experiment of assuming the Original Position (US liberal ideal)

Making a real effort to establish a shared national identity and a shared horizon for the future; concentrating on things we can agree on and things we can choose to differ about. Seeing our shared past as valuable and unique, but our shared future as Canadian.

Three things that might help us continue to get along

Utilitarianism: “the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people.”

Everyone should be as happy as possible, and if some people need special privileges in order to be happy, they should get them, as long as that doesn’t hurt other people (the Harm Principle).

John Stuart Mill and the “Tyranny of the Majority”

Formal EqualityEveryone is treated exactly the same. The same rules

are applied to all, equally.

Substantive EqualitySome accommodations are made for the

underprivileged, those with a history of being discriminated against, or minority groups whose cultures require special treatment to survive or prosper.

Formal vs substantive equality

Rawls proposed a way to think about issues of fairness that would encourage us to look past our own particular advantage or disadvantage.

Rawls‘ "thought experiment" entailed imagining you are behind a “veil of ignorance” and have no knowledge about your particular characteristics (gender, country of birth, religion, social status etc).

Rawls thought that this was the analytical position ("the original position") from which discussion of a social issue should start.

John Rawls: The Original Position

Political community & cultural community

POLITICAL COMMUNITY(eg. Canadian citizens)What we ALL need to agree on

Democracy, official languages, representative government, rational debate, respect for laws

Shared goals and a shared future

CULTURAL COMMUNITY(eg. White anglo-saxon

protestants)What we can agree to disagree on

Our historical or tribal roots, language used in the home, religious observances, etc

A shared past and a sense of kinship

Political community &cultural community

POLITICAL COMMUNITY(What we ALL need to agree on

Justice (laws) Use of resources (natural,

shelter, health) Foreign policy Human rights Health, safety National hockey teams

CULTURAL COMMUNITYWhat we can agree to disagree on

Religion Food Dress Relationships and family

arrangements Sex World Cup soccer teams