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On the Other Hand
Canadian Multiculturalism and Its Progressive Critics
Phil Ryan (Author)
9781487552725
Hardback, published 12 April 2024
320 pages
23.5 x 15.9 x 3.2 cm, 0.58 kg
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.
1. Introduction Part I: Setting the Stage 2. Signs of the times: A very brief overview 3. Four concepts Part II: On the Writing of the Progressive Critics 4. Some mysterious claims in the writing of progressive critics 5. Other features in the writing of progressive critics Part III: Past and Present 6. Why multiculturalism? 7. Multiculturalism within a bilingual framework? Part IV: Yes, But... 8. On tolerance (and other "gross concepts") 9. Multiculturalism as psychic prop 10. Of masks, nations, and nationalism 11. Conclusion Notes
2.1 Age of rage?
2.2 A Canadian exception?
2.3 Persistent challenges: Racism and discrimination in Canada
2.4 Conclusion
3.1 The state
3.2 Policy
3.3 Culture
3.4 Multiculturalism
3.5 Summary: Concepts and the traps of language
5.1 The homogenous ethnic majority
5.2 Policy and society
5.3 Dialectical and undialectical analysis
5.4 Alternatives?
5.5 Reflections on possible political effects
6.1 Multiculturalism: A "simple story"
6.2 A critical progressive story
6.3 Assessing the critical progressive story
6.4 A white supremacy state?
6.5 Multiculturalism and the capitalist state: An alternative story
6.6 Just-so stories?
7.1 Contemporary arguments and debates
7.2 The B.&B. Commission response and its contradictions
7.3 Justifications
7.4 Conclusion
8.1 Critiques of tolerance
8.2 The concept of tolerance
8.3 Response to critiques
8.4 Conclusion
9.1 Introduction: Material and ideal interests
9.2 An assortment of claims
9.3 Us, them, and others
9.4 Parliamentary multiculturalism discourse
9.5 Conclusion
10.1 On masks and ideology
10.2 Of nations and national pride
10.3 Concluding thoughts
11.1 Society and our attempts to understand it
11.2 On progressive thought and writing
11.3 Multiculturalism: Concluding thoughts
Works Cited