SOC TAKE HOME EMG 30%

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University of Ottawa *

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1106 A

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Anthropology

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Jan 9, 2024

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docx

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SOC 1106: Exploring Diversity in Canada Take Home Assignment Elisa Moio Ghannai - 300199572 1. Explain, in a maximum of 500 words, what Eve Haque means by the Bilingual Limits of Canadian Multiculturalism. Make sure to refer to the example of the provincial regulation of Traditional Chinese Medicine in your answer. (5 marks) Eve Haque’s book examines the complex link between language, race, and identity in the context of Canada's official multiculturalism policy, which celebrates diversity and recognizes many cultural identities but is restricted by its emphasis on bilingualism. While Canada's bilingualism policy has successfully fostered English and French equality, it has undervalued the linguistic and cultural rights of other minority groups. When Haque refers to the bilingual limits of Canadian multiculturalism, she is arguing that the promotion of only two official languages is limiting our wide diversity of culture, which is closely associated with language. This situation often prioritizes the dominant language and culture and neglects the power dynamics and gaps between diverse linguistic and cultural groups. Throughout her book, Haque critiques the Government of Canada’s language policies and reveals the contradictions behind the formation of an allegedly unified policy. Haque explains how language and culture are linked in Canada's official-language communities. She claims that the 1967 study Canada, Book I, establishes a problematic hierarchy between different ethnic or racial groups by making language the most significant marker of cultural identity. The author elaborates that “there was a slippage between language and race...

which foreshadowed how language, in the commission’s thinking, would function as a technology of exclusion to limit the boundaries of culture” (Haque, 2012, p. 155). She claims that language may be used to exclude people, especially marginalized populations that may not have equal access to resources and opportunities owing to linguistic limitations. To solve these restrictions and foster linguistic variety in Canadian culture, Haque advocates for a more inclusive approach to Canadian language policies. Moreover, the regulation of traditional Chinese medicine in Ontario is an example of the unequal impacts of this policy on practitioners and patients who are not proficient in English or French. In their article, Ijaz and Boon argue that Canada's "Multiculturalism within a Bilingual Framework" policy has resulted in unequal impacts for TCM practitioners and patients who are not proficient in either of the official languages. The authors point out how non-English or non- French speaking TCM practitioners are disadvantaged by the necessity to pass a regulatory exam in one of these languages and by the absence of assistance. As a result, many TCM practitioners who do not know English or French are unable to practice in Ontario, whereas English and French speaking practitioners have a major advantage. Ultimately, the article supports Eve Haque's research on the "Bilingual Limits of Canadian Multiculturalism," since it demonstrates how Canada's reliance on only two official languages has resulted in unequal repercussions for TCM practitioners and patients who do not speak English or French. According to the article, in order to really embrace multiculturalism and ensure that all Canadians have equitable access to healthcare and other services, Canada must broaden its awareness of linguistic diversity. 2. Explain, in a maximum of 500 words, what Harsha Walia means by the “apartheid of citizenship” in Canada. Make sure to refer to the example provided in the film “El Contrato” in

your answer. (5 marks) Harsha Walia's article, "Transient Servitude: Migrant Labour in Canada and the Apartheid of Citizenship," addresses the systemic exploitation of migrant labourers in Canada, which is sustained by a combination of immigration rules, labour regulations, and racial prejudice. Walia argues that migrant labourers are frequently brought to Canada on temporary work permits and are attached to a certain employer, exposing them to abuse and exploitation. Furthermore, they are denied numerous labour rights and have restricted access to social assistance, establishing a system of "transient servitude." The idea of "apartheid of citizenship" in Canada, as defined by Walia, refers to the uneven treatment of distinct groups of individuals depending on their citizenship status. Walia contends that this citizenship hierarchy generates an apartheid system in which certain groups of people are afforded fewer rights, protections, and opportunities than others. She focuses specifically on the experiences of migrant workers, who are frequently brought to Canada on temporary work permits attached to a certain company. Because they have limited mobility, few labour rights, and limited access to social services, they are prone to exploitation and abuse under this "transient servitude" system. Walia argues that the notion of "Canadian-ness" is used to “maintain the power of the state to define who belongs and who does not. Temporary foreign workers are perceived not only as not Canadian but also as not working alongside Canadians. " (Walia, 2010, p. 80). This power to define belonging is a major component of Canadian citizenship apartheid. The state employs different variables, such as citizenship status, colour, and ethnicity, to decide who has access to and who does not have access to specific rights, resources, and protections. This perception of temporary foreign workers as "other" also serves to create divisions among workers, reinforcing the power of employers over all workers.

To put this into context, the film “El Contrato” provides several examples of the apartheid of citizenship in action, including the story of one worker named Jorge. Jorge is a middle-aged man who has been entering Canada for over a decade for work. He is married with children, but owing to the constraints of his work visa, he is unable to bring his family to Canada. He is paid very little and works long hours in hazardous circumstances, including exposure to toxic chemicals. Jorge's experience exemplifies how citizenship apartheid produces a system of "transient servitude," in which workers are brought to Canada on temporary work permits and are bound to a certain employer. Additionally, because the majority of migrant workers in Canada are people of colour from the Global South, it reinforces racial and socioeconomic inequities. Jorge's experience emphasizes the critical need for a more just and equitable immigration policy in Canada, one that recognizes the inherent dignity and worth of all persons, regardless of citizenship status. 3. Explain, in a maximum of 500 words, how neoliberalism has led to a situation where Canadian universities rely heavily on international students to make up for the shortfall in public funding for post-secondary education. (5 marks) Neoliberalism is a theory that values individual liberty, free markets, and minimal government interference in the economy. This ideology holds that the elimination of governmental interference in economic and social activities, as well as the deregulation of labour and financial markets, have released capitalism's great potential to usher in a new age of social well-being for the world's population. Neoliberalism has had a considerable influence on Canadian universities, notably their reliance on overseas students to compensate for a shortage in public support for postsecondary education. Since the 1980s, neoliberal policies in Canada have

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