Mar.4 Questions
by C. Kwon ~ March 4th, 2011Stein, Searching for Equality (pp.1-22)
1) Would you agree with Stein’s observation that de-politicization of multiculturalism is stemming from Canadians’ accommodation into a pluralistic society? Is the word ‘tolerance’ used to characterize Canadians because people often have to maintain a impartial position or even be indifferent about the clashes between their moral values and respect for diversity? Is this conscious/good-intended/polite ignorance what sustains the current Canadian multiculturalism?
2) Stein argues that Canada is in the phase of “easy multiculturalism”, which raises “no hard questions at all”. Is politicization of multiculturalism necessary for a transition into a “deep multiculturalism”?
3) Should Canada outline a set of national-wide shared values and expect citizens to abide by it, or would such imposition of rules infringe on the respect for values that are unique to various religious/cultural groups? Who’s moral ruler are we using?
Small group discussion:
4) While Stein states “multiculturalism in Canada is inclusive, rather than exclusionary”, she later states that cultural and religious communities tend to form “closed patterns of associations” that hinders “opportunity to talk across cultures”. By including your reflections on professor Toope’s strategic plan and the dialogue with the representatives of cultural clubs at UBC, how would you plan a curriculum at UBC that would foster cross-cultural learning experience? (Give concrete examples)
Kymlicka, Disentangling the Debate (pp.137-155)
1) Where do you feel the line is drawn between political correctness and being too careful? Do you think that when you have to be too careful of what you say in order to avoid offending someone, it is in its own way an insult?
2) How do you feel about the idea of certain organizations picking and choosing their teachings? (ie. religious schools not teaching about contraception/sex education) How do you think that relates to multiculturalism?
3) Why do you think it is that second generation Canadian immigrants still don’t feel Canadian? How long do you think this takes? Are there any factors that may change this?
Notwithstanding Clause
by C. Kwon ~ February 28th, 2011What does the notwithstanding clause do?
The notwithstanding clause allows the federal government or a provincial legislature to enact legislation to override several sections of the Charter that deal with fundamental freedoms, legal rights and equality rights.
These include freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, and freedom from unreasonable search and seizure, to name a few. But a number of other Charter rights cannot be overridden. These include democratic rights, mobility rights, and the equality of men and women.
Simply put, this override power allows governments to create laws that will operate in spite of (or “notwithstanding”) some Charter rights that the laws appear to violate.
This override power is temporary. Any notwithstanding clause declaration expires after five years, but can be re-enacted indefinitely.
Feb.28 Discussion Questions
by C. Kwon ~ February 27th, 2011Ibbitson, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
1. The author argues that there is a “lack of national homogeneity” in Canada and that each region has a separate identity. Do you agree? If so, do you think this is a problem?
2. The author writes: “It is the easiest thing to feel Canadian, because it means so little.” Does the label Canadian really mean so little?
3. Do you think that the author underestimates the desire of some groups to behave in ways that go against the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms?
4. The author claims that we live “in a society built on an economy that encourages success and judges people in large measure by their ability to achieve it.” Is this true or overly idealistic?
Smith, “Cement for the Canadian Mosaic”: Performing Canadian Citizenship in the Work of John Murray Gibbon
1. Considering Gibbon’s work is from the early twentieth century, does his work still accurately reflect the racial hierarchy and prejudice in the modern Canadian society? If not, what has changed? What do you think instigated such changes?
2. Smith comments that Gibbon treats cultural festivals like they are commercialized packages. Have you seen or experienced a cultural display that you felt was of the same nature? What made you feel that it was superficial or commercial?
3. This article extensively discusses the “management of culture/ethnicity” which is mostly carried out by British Canadians towards non-Anglo immigrants and citizens. Do you think this management can occur within a culture? In other words, do we consciously try to package our own culture to look presentable to Anglo-Canadians?
4. “This inherent instability of the authenticity of the settler subject leads … to attempts to establish the settler’s “native” legitimacy … through representation and discourse.” (Smith 45). What would happen if Anglo-Canadians were not to assert this sense of legitimacy? Would it weaken or strengthen the nation as whole?
5. Smith states that GIbbon didn’t even consider visible minorities as a part of the Canadian mosaic because they can’t be assimilated. How would you define a successful assimilation? In what ways would Canada change if it practiced an immigration policy akin to that of the US?
*(As of 2006 visible minorities formed 16.2% of Canada’s population.)
Week 8 Discussion Questions
by C. Kwon ~ February 20th, 2011Feb. 21st Discussion Questions
Canadian Multiculturalism
1. The report claims that the Multiculturalism Act seeks to promote the minority participation in governmental institutions. But we rarely see non-white politicians in Canada. In your opinion what discourages so-called “visible minorities” from running for elections? Or, is it that they attempt to participate but are seldom elected? And how can we try to build a parliament that is more ethnically diverse? (That is, apart from the Act.)
2. The report notes that the Quebecois perceive the Multiculturalism policy as an attempt to diminish the French Canadian culture into that of a minority. Considering British Columbia is overwhelmingly Anglophone, does this worry have some validity? Should English and French Canadian cultures receive a different treatment from others for their status as the “founders” of Canada?
3. The BC government is to “generally, carry on government services and programs in a manner that is sensitive and responsive to the multicultural reality of British Columbia.” What are your thoughts on this requirement? Is it reasonable? Limiting?
4. How do you feel about there being such a high number of Canadians born outside of Canada? Why do you think there is such a high level of immigration from Asia?
5. Do you agree with the statement of “Granatstein also argues that multiculturalism policies have helped spread the idea among immigrants and even native-born Canadians that Canada, particularly English-speaking Canada, has no culture and identity of its own.”? How would you describe Anglo-Canadian culture?
6. What do you think of the idea of teaching various ethnic minority languages in public schools? Do you think it should be mandatory or optional? How many would there be, and how do you decide on which languages would be offered?
Canadian Multiculturalism Act
1. The Multiculturalism Act mentions multiculturalism as heritage of Canada. Is Canada achieving its aspiration as stated in (3j)?
(3j) advance multiculturalism throughout Canada in harmony with the national commitment to the official languages of Canada
2. How effective is the Act? Is there an enforcement mechanism? How would a government oversee its progress?
Feb. 25th Discussion Questions
Marketing Canadian Pluralism in the International Arena By Kymlicka (pg. 8-25)
1) What are your thoughts on the reasons behind the marketing of Canadian pluralism? Would you agree with one of Kymlicka’s arguments that domestic scepticism on Canadian model for diversity is challenged or suppressed by the international reputation of diversity in Canada? Why or why not?
2) What are the root causes of the criticisms of the model of diversity in Canada and how could a disparity between the government and the public on the policy be reconciled?
3) What circumstances make a pluralist society possible and successful in Canada, relative to other countries?
4) What would be the role of Canada in the international community to protect the rights of the minorities?
Canada – J’accuse/J’adore By Meisel (pg.95-117)
1) Do you personally think that Canada is, or can be too accommodating to
newcomers/minorities? Is this an important distinguishing characteristic that makes
Canada, Canada?
2) Are reparation payments fair? How do you feel that these payments should be divided, especially generations after the act itself. What criteria should there be in order to seek payment?
3) How do you feel about the hyphenated-Canadian? Do you think it helps preserve original heritage, or is a road block on the way to being a ‘true’ Canadian?
Week 6: Feb. 11th Discussion Questions
by akiyama725 ~ February 10th, 2011
Culture clubs at UBC:
1) What are the benefits and costs of having culture clubs at UBC?
2) Are culture clubs perpetuating the notion of cliques within the university? What are the implicit “criteria” that these clubs are requiring for prospective members?
3) How can culture clubs reach their potential?
4) If more people today identify with “hybrid” identity or a blend of more than one cultural background, what choices are there for these students in terms of participating in culture clubs? In other words, how do you imagine the culture clubs to look like in the future?
5) How can UBC, as an institution, help culture clubs expand their membership to various ethnic groups?
Forum Questions:
1) Do you think culture clubs contribute to promoting intercultural understanding in campus? If so, then in what ways? If not, what has made you think so?
2) If you think culture clubs need improvement, which aspect would you modify and how?
“Canadians view immigration more positively than Europe, U.S.”
by C. Kwon ~ February 4th, 2011Canadian attitudes toward immigration are hardening but Canada remains a relative island of tranquillity compared to other increasingly anti-immigrant Western developed countries, according to a poll released Thursday.
M. Mahtani on Canadian and hyphenated identities
by C. Kwon ~ February 2nd, 2011An interesting report on hyphenated identities:
Mahtani, Minelle. Interrogating the Hyphen-Nation: Canadian Multicultural Policy and “Mixed Race” Identities.
Toronto, ON, Canada: CERIS – The Ontario Metropolis Centre, 2004. **VPN required**
Jan.31 Discussion Questions
by C. Kwon ~ January 30th, 2011Revealing Moments (pp.74-88):
1. At the citizenship ceremony Khayatt encounters a “friendly” interrogation and brushes off pseudo-racist comments as curious and uninformed. Does racism depend on the attitude of the recipient? In other words, if the recipient thinks certain remarks are more or less benign, are those comments still racist? Should one confront these “curious” racism or ignore it?
2. Khayatt does not hyphenate her identity as “Egyptian-Canadian”. From her article what do you think is the cause/reason/motivation for avoiding such a term?
3. “I had the composure of class and the confidence of privilege to protect me from the exclusion to which I may otherwise have been subjected and of which I may have been made an object” (Khayatt 82). Khayatt thinks that her upper-class background contributed to her relatively successful assimilation to the Canadian culture.Would you agree that a social class in one’s country of origin matters significantly in Canada? What other socio-economic factors can make a person feel more included and excluded?
4. Khayatt states that she is able to control the exposure of her “exotic” side according to circumstances. Does a person have to do something similar in order to feel at home in Canada? If so, then what does one adopt in place of his/her ethnic identity?
5. “… the Linking of citizenship with occupation points to a system locate[s] within the dynamics of capitalism” (Khayatt 78) since society benefits by selectively accepting those who can greatly contribute to its economy. Is multiculturalism a capitalist convention as well?
The Elusive and Illusionary (pp.115-121):
1. If you were (or are) in the situation of the author, being stretched between multiple cultures, would you try and associate yourself more with one?
Perhaps the more dominant physical characteristics, or work plainly with the fact that you do have multiple ethnicities?
2. What is the most effective way that you have found to explain your cultural identity, or deal with pressure or bullies? Do you find it necessary to defend your heritage?
3. Is it worth changing how you perceive yourself in order to fit in?
Jan. 28th Discussion Questions
by akiyama725 ~ January 27th, 2011
“Roots of Identity, Routes to Knowing” by Howard Ramos
1) Consider the encounter on the side of the road between Ramos’ father and the French Canadian man who asks the question “Where are you from?”. In “Roots of Identity, Routes to Knowing”, Ramos considers the effect of his personal insecurities and preconceptions on his recollection of the encounter.
When a person is hurt by encounters like this one, is it the question itself that causes the injury or is it a pre-existing injury exposed by the question that is the true source of the pain?
2) Ramos closes with a poignant comment about how in order to embrace his Canadianness he must embrace the Canadian obsession with identity and accept that constantly being asked where he is from is a kind of Canadian ritual that must be embraced as part of the experience of being Canadian. How does this resonate with you?
3) Thought Experiment: imagine that questions like “Where are you from?”, “What is your background?” and “Were you born in Canada?” etc… are outlawed in Canada.
Is it possible for our multicultural society to evolve into an intercultural one without the freedom to ask one another about our personal histories? Consider different interpretations of the word “Canadian” and their effect on casual interactions between strangers and how those interactions are interpreted by everyone involved.
“Jewish, Canadian, or Quebecois Notes on a Diasporic Identity” by S. J. Ship
1) Ship mentions in her article that “Trying to define the Jewish identity with the categories of (religion, culture, appearance, and perseverance of anti Semitism) are never enough as it does not involve the lived experiences and the consciousness of the individuals…”
But what about those who haven’t had any lived experience, for example like the 2nd generation, 3rd generation Jews who are born in Canada just like herself. So, how would they identify themselves as a Jew? What factors would play a role in changing their status quo to being more Jewish? (Ex-Strict traditional family roots, Jewish education?)
2) She mentions that the authenticity of experience is a sufficient criterion for truth and representativeness. What do you think?
3) Are you sympathetic towards her situation of being a confused Jew? If yes, Why? if no, Why not?
4) Is the Canadian census, racist towards immigrants for having them define their ethnicity in spite of them being Canadian?
And is it fair that race and ethnicity plays a vital role in everything an immigrant does from applying to jobs, going to school, working at a restaurant, etc even though they are born in Canada and speak English as their first language?