Managing cultural diversity:
the Canadian experience
Tzvetana Guerdjikova, Ph.D.
(Toronto, Canada)
NOTE: The presentation is based on the following publication:
Tzvetana Guerdjikova -“The Canadian Mosaic: Milestones of the Canadian
Multicultural Policy.” IN: ‘Canada: a view from without.’ Sofia, 2007.
Conceptual Frame
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The Diversity - main characteristic of the
Canadian society
The Canadian approach to managing cultural
differences: historical overview
‘Mosaic’ vs. ‘Melting Pot’: two ways of managing
cultural diversity
Canada’s policy of Multiculturalism: ‘pros & cons’
summary
Concluding Remarks
SIETAR Congress
April 25-29, 2007
Tzvetana Guerdjikova
(g_tzvetana@yahoo.com)
2
[1] The Diversity - main
characteristic of the Canadian society
Canada is a country of immigrants:
1600s: the first overseas settlers came from France, followed
later by other Europeans
1775-1783 (during the American Revolution): thousands of
American loyalists came
1900s (before the WWI) : a substantial number of Italians
arrived
1950-1970: the second wave of Italian immigrants
today: 220 000 - 250 000 immigrants per year from all over
the world
SIETAR Congress
April 25-29, 2007
Tzvetana Guerdjikova
(g_tzvetana@yahoo.com)
3
Canada today
the second largest country in the world, covering an
area of 10 million km2
about 32 623 500 people from all over the world,
representing more than 200 groups of different
ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic heritage;
two official languages (English and French), but
more than 80 languages, spoken ‘at home’ by various
groups and communities
SIETAR Congress
April 25-29, 2007
Tzvetana Guerdjikova
(g_tzvetana@yahoo.com)
4
Conclusion:
the diversity is a fundamental and
characteristic of the Canadian society;
enduring
the mutual tolerance and respect are some of the
core values of the Canadian identity;
these values are embedded in the Canadian social
and political model.
SIETAR Congress
April 25-29, 2007
Tzvetana Guerdjikova
(g_tzvetana@yahoo.com)
5
[2] The Canadian approach to
managing cultural differences
Canada = the first country in the world to
proclaim and pursue the multiculturalism as an
official policy of the government
SIETAR Congress
April 25-29, 2007
Tzvetana Guerdjikova
(g_tzvetana@yahoo.com)
6
Milestones of the Canadian Multicultural Policy
(1)
(1) First steps
1960: the Canadian Bill of Rights
1962: important changes in the immigration
regulations (originated the amendments to the
Canadian Immigration system in 1967)
1963: the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and
Biculturalism
1969: the Official Languages Act
SIETAR Congress
April 25-29, 2007
Tzvetana Guerdjikova
(g_tzvetana@yahoo.com)
7
Milestones of the Canadian Multicultural Policy
(2)
(2) the official announcement of Canada's Policy
of Multiculturalism
October 8, 1971: the speech of the Prime Minister
Pierre Elliott Trudeau, delivered to the House of
Commons
SIETAR Congress
April 25-29, 2007
Tzvetana Guerdjikova
(g_tzvetana@yahoo.com)
8
Milestones of the Canadian Multicultural Policy
(3)
(3) Next Steps
1971: legislative ‘ catch-up’
1982: constitutional recognition in the newly adopted
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
1988: the Canadian Multiculturalism Act
SIETAR Congress
April 25-29, 2007
Tzvetana Guerdjikova
(g_tzvetana@yahoo.com)
9
Milestones of the Canadian Multicultural Policy
(5)
Recent steps
1999 : the Government of Canada officially declared its
commitment to "…develop a new approach internationally to
support the diversity of cultural expression”
2005: Canada was the first country to accept the UNESCO
Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of
Cultural Expressions
SIETAR Congress
April 25-29, 2007
Tzvetana Guerdjikova
(g_tzvetana@yahoo.com)
10
[3] ‘Mosaic’ vs. ‘Melting Pot’:
two ways of managing cultural diversity
The Canadian ‘Mosaic’ approach
= each cultural group is preserving their cultural and religious
heritage, while contributing to the development of the country
as a whole.
The American ‘Melting pot’ approach
= the newcomers should give up their specific ethnic identities,
cultural characteristics and traditions in favor of some new,
universalized, set of values and symbols (a policy of
assimilation)
SIETAR Congress
April 25-29, 2007
Tzvetana Guerdjikova
(g_tzvetana@yahoo.com)
11
Comparison:
When dealing with social diversity issues, any polarized concept is
incomplete and insufficient:
1.
The Canadian ‘mosaic’ approach does not imply that the newcomers will
keep absolutely everything from their country of origin (i.e. the early years
of the Canadian nation can also be compared to a ‘melting pot’).
2.
The American ‘melting pot’ approach does not mean that all the immigrants
will automatically acquire a new look and identity (i.e. the contemporary
American society looks more like a ‘mosaic-type’ society, rather than a
‘melting pot –type’ one).
SIETAR Congress
April 25-29, 2007
Tzvetana Guerdjikova
(g_tzvetana@yahoo.com)
12
Conclusion
The policy of multiculturalism should ensure that in the public
sphere every cultural group is treated equally, while in the
private sphere they are free to keep their diverse traditions
and religious beliefs (as long as those traditions/beliefs are not
in violation of any law).
SIETAR Congress
April 25-29, 2007
Tzvetana Guerdjikova
(g_tzvetana@yahoo.com)
13
[3] Canada’s policy of Multiculturalism:
‘pros & cons’ summary
Acceptance:
multiculturalism = tolerance
Criticism:
-
the multiculturalism promotes separateness & privileges (Gwyn,
Granatstein, Granatstein, etc.)
certain ethnic groups are still marginalized (Henry)
New liberal Pluralism (Kymlicka, Opalski, etc.)
The multicultural policy should satisfy at the same time the interests of
the society and the groups.
SIETAR Congress
April 25-29, 2007
Tzvetana Guerdjikova
(g_tzvetana@yahoo.com)
14
Pros & cons (2)
But, the social and political democratization does not
provide an ‘automatic’ solution to the diversity
problems. The diversity issues persist and some of
them even intensify in a democratic and prosperous
society.
(Examples: Quebec nationalism; privileges for
some groups, etc.)
SIETAR Congress
April 25-29, 2007
Tzvetana Guerdjikova
(g_tzvetana@yahoo.com)
15
Concluding remarks:
The ‘Canadian mosaic’ cannot be implanted ‘as is’ in
any other country. But Canada’s experience can
provide important lessons about a modern social
policy, based on tolerance and mutual respect –
lessons that may help some newly emerged
democracies (incl.: those in Eastern-Europe) find
their own way to respond to the local ethnic tensions
and other cultural diversity challenges.
SIETAR Congress
April 25-29, 2007
Tzvetana Guerdjikova
(g_tzvetana@yahoo.com)
16