For many, Canadian multiculturalism represents the hope that we can build a society in which people who have come from all corners of the world can fully participate without first subverting or erasing their unique identities. Many progressive critics, however, dismiss this hope as an illusion that serves to mask ongoing racism and inequality. Foregrounding the capitalist nature of the Canadian state and society, On the Other Hand examines the arguments of a range of progressive critics of Canadian multiculturalism.An exercise in "critical listening," the book aims to both communicate and assess these progressive critiques. It proposes conditions for the intelligibility of social science analysis in general and reflects on the requirements for effective progressive thought and writing. Grounded in a political economy approach, the book argues that capitalism and the capitalist nature of the state must be integrated into our analysis of multiculturalism, immigration policy, and persistent racism.On the Other Hand reveals how progressive critiques can identify real limits of multiculturalism: limits of which we must be aware if we are either to endorse them or seek to transcend them.
Phil Ryan is an associate professor in the School of Public Policy and Administration at Carleton University.
1. IntroductionPart I: Setting the Stage2. Signs of the times: A very brief overview2.1 Age of rage?2.2 A Canadian exception?2.3 Persistent challenges: Racism and discrimination in Canada2.4 Conclusion3. Four concepts3.1 The state3.2 Policy3.3 Culture3.4 Multiculturalism3.5 Summary: Concepts and the traps of languagePart II: On the Writing of the Progressive Critics4. Some mysterious claims in the writing of progressive critics5. Other features in the writing of progressive critics5.1 The homogenous ethnic majority5.2 Policy and society5.3 Dialectical and undialectical analysis5.4 Alternatives?5.5 Reflections on possible political effectsPart III: Past and Present6. Why multiculturalism?6.1 Multiculturalism: A "simple story"6.2 A critical progressive story6.3 Assessing the critical progressive story6.4 A white supremacy state?6.5 Multiculturalism and the capitalist state: An alternative story6.6 Just-so stories?7. Multiculturalism within a bilingual framework?7.1 Contemporary arguments and debates7.2 The B.&B. Commission response and its contradictions7.3 Justifications7.4 ConclusionPart IV: Yes, But...8. On tolerance (and other "gross concepts")8.1 Critiques of tolerance8.2 The concept of tolerance8.3 Response to critiques8.4 Conclusion9. Multiculturalism as psychic prop9.1 Introduction: Material and ideal interests9.2 An assortment of claims9.3 Us, them, and others9.4 Parliamentary multiculturalism discourse9.5 Conclusion10. Of masks, nations, and nationalism10.1 On masks and ideology10.2 Of nations and national pride10.3 Concluding thoughts11. Conclusion11.1 Society and our attempts to understand it11.2 On progressive thought and writing 11.3 Multiculturalism: Concluding thoughtsNotesWorks Cited
