Chapter 4 Chapter Overview

Diversity has become a significant part of Canada and has helped to form the country’s political values and ideas. Historically, Canada has attempted to be a diverse nation, but diversity meant something much different in the nineteenth century than it did in the late twentieth century. The early institutionalization of diversity in Canada focused on two groups—the English and the French—while marginalizing and displacing Aboriginal peoples. Over time, immigration patterns and government attitudes changed and Canadian laws and policies eventually began to catch up with the make-up of the country.

The recognition of diversity has been institutionalized in the Canadian state through such mechanisms as the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Notwithstanding the ethnic diversity of the country and recognition of it in the Charter and elsewhere, Canada’s political institutions at the elite level continue to be dominated by Canadians of either British or French origin. The model of cultural accommodation adopted by Canada is not the only one practiced or advocated. The Dutch, the Americans, and the French have their own models in place. Another model called interculturalism was proposed for Quebec by the Bouchard-Taylor Commission in 2008.

The demographic picture has changed in other ways, as well. The family is much smaller and there are many more single-parent families than a few generations ago. Sexual diversity is much more apparent today, due to the willingness of non-heterosexuals to openly proclaim their sexuality. Groups such as people with disabilities are beginning to receive increased legal and political recognition.