SSCI 1300U Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Cultural Assimilation, Jagmeet Singh, Child Care
13 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Race/Culture/Ethnicity
Lecture 5
Race
• Category of people who share similar inherited physical characteristics
• Skin Colour
• Facial Features
• Status
Biological or social race
• Most people consider race in biological terms, but this is changing.
o This concept has recently been reconsidered as there can be more physical
differences between races, than there are between races.
o With racial blending, the clear concepts of race are starting to no longer exist.
• Social construction of race
o What happens in situations where one has one black parent and one white
parent?
o Even though there is equality between both parents, they are still considered to
be black, see President Obama.
o Race has no true existence really other than what people think of it.
Ethnicity and Culture
• Shared social, cultural and/or historical experiences from those with the same
geographic background.
• Ethnic groups – subgroups of the population with distinctive beliefs/values/behaviours
who share similar social, cultural and historical experiences.
• Avoids the biological challenges that exist within the race discussion.
Multiculturalism in Canada
• Canada has a large percentage of immigrants
o 20.6% of the population is foreign born – 6,775,800
o Since 2000, 2,155,000 have come to Canada
o Canadians report over 200 different ethnic origins
History of Multiculturalism in Canada
• Early Canada started with more of a belief of cultural assimilation
o Vertical mosaic – English and French Canadians at the top of the hierarchy with
other minorities positioned below
o Selective immigration – immigration based on workforce needs
o As immigration continued, less and less desirable occupations were available
o Entrance Status – Original occupation and group one immigrated to Canada as
(would not change generationally)
find more resources at oneclass.com
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• Only in the 1960s, with the formation of bilingualism, did the conversation of
multiculturalism truly begin.
o In this discussion, Canada would shift from an assimilation based society, to
ore of a ultural osai
• 1971 – Multiculturalism Act
• 1982 – Multiculturalism was added to the Constitution
• 1988 – new Canadian Multiculturalism Act
immigration in Canada
• Chain Migration
o Starts with one or two family members (usually the workers)
▪ Set up a home, get work
• Send for spouses and children, then siblings and parents
• Usually sending money back to their country of origin to support them
Immigrants, educational status and employment
• For those with a university degree
• 2.8% Canadian born are unemployed
• 5.4% landed 10 or more years ago
• 7.1% landed 5-10 years ago
• 11.6% landed 5 or fewer years ago
institutional completeness
• As immigrant communities develop, they begin to provide services they need through
local institutions
o Schools
o Churches
o Newspapers
o Shops
o Restaurants
• Can be a response to discrimination
o If there is restricted access to jobs, one can use their ethnic membership to
support those within their community.
o In cases where one shuns these opportunities in order to assimilate, they may
find themselves on the outs with their ethnic community.
Traditional versus modern multiculturalism
• Traditional Multiculturalism
o Protecting the rights of people, specifically minorities
o Mostly through provincial human rights codes
• Modern Multiculturalism
o Survival of cultural groups as a whole
o The groups are protected by law, not the individuals
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Race: category of people who share similar inherited physical characteristics, skin colour, facial features, status. Multiculturalism in canada: canada has a large percentage of immigrants, 20. 6% of the population is foreign born 6,775,800, since 2000, 2,155,000 have come to canada, canadians report over 200 different ethnic origins. If there is restricted access to jobs, one can use their ethnic membership to support those within their community. In cases where one shuns these opportunities in order to assimilate, they may find themselves on the outs with their ethnic community. Traditional versus modern multiculturalism: traditional multiculturalism, protecting the rights of people, specifically minorities, mostly through provincial human rights codes, modern multiculturalism, survival of cultural groups as a whole, the groups are protected by law, not the individuals. If o(cid:374)e(cid:859)s pare(cid:374)ts ha(cid:448)e prejudi(cid:272)es, it is (cid:373)ore likely that these prejudices will continue in their children. Discrimination: (cid:862)ar(cid:271)itrar(cid:455) de(cid:374)ial of rights, pri(cid:448)ileges a(cid:374)d opportu(cid:374)ities to (cid:373)e(cid:373)(cid:271)ers of ra(cid:272)ial or eth(cid:374)i(cid:272) groups. (cid:863)
