Week 7/8 Putting MC to Work: Institutional Accommodation

Multicultural Challenges Create an inclusive Canada - “integrated, socially cohesive Canada” Create accommodative institutions “make institutions more responsive to the needs/disadvantages of Canada’s diverse population to ensure no one is excluded From Annual Report, MC, 2009/2010

Institutional Accommodation or Inclusion/inclusivity Definition -Process + framework -adjusting institutional design, rules, operation, climate, rewards to reasonably accommodate minority disadvantages -to make workplace more reflective, respective, responsive (both more neutral yet accommodative) -Creating a service that is available, accessible, appropriate

Reasonable Accommodation Doing what is workable, necessary, and fair Within limits Without undue hardship Reactive + proactive

Problematizing the concept of institutional Accommodation What is social exclusion? shut out of participation resulting in discrimination/marginal/alienation What is social inclusion? - ensure no one is excluded for reasons beyond control - treat everyone the same or different everyone differently? * Is inclusivity about changing attitudes or structures? * Is it about colour blindness/institutional neutrality or about incorporating as much diversity as possible

Types of Institutional Accommodation equalityEquity parallelseparate

Components and barriers componentsbarriers Institutions = - not neutral but socially constructed - ideologically loaded with values. - reflect intersecting social locations

Models of Institutional Accommodation Integration (Inclusion) ModelsInclusivity Models People must fit into existing system Diversities = problem Accommodate differences = one size fits all Equal (same) treatment Minority hires + sensitivity training = catalyst for change Top down decision making (we know whats best) Modernist bias System adjusts to accommodate Diversities = assets Accommodating different differences differently = customizing treatment Treatment as equals (different) Structural changes through removal of discriminatory barriers Bottom up (partnership) Postmodernist bias

Modernist Bias Postmodernist bias Singular universe of truth and objectivity Commitment to progress, reason, science, binary thinking Rational planned intervention for problem-solution nexus Command and control (central, hierarchy, bureaucracy, standardized) Top down bias Multiversal universe Commit to diversities within diversities, fragmented, contested, contingent thinking Risk taking, audacious, discontinuities Partnership and powersharing (decenetred, flat lined, collaborative, customized) Bottom up orientation

Continuum of Institutional Accommodation Monocultural MulticulturalMultiversal Segregated Diversity as defect Exclusion or limited acceptance Integrated Tolerance of Diversity Commitment to MC + non racism Individual level training, recruitment Accommodate diffs Inclusivity Diversities as assets Commit to structural changes, anti racism, white privilege multiversality, shared power, partnership Accommodate diff ways of accommodating diffs

Media, Minorities, & Inclusivity Why are media important? What is the problem? How is problem expressed? Explaining why problem exists? - attitudes (prejudice/racism) - structure of media - media as soft propaganda Is there still a problem? - entertainment vs news

Media Life Powerful (we live in media, not with media) Public discourse, agenda setting, role modelling Preliminary/Only point of contact Media framing (organize info to draw attention to encourage preferred reading consistent with media bias) * Media Not Neutral but ….

Media Framing of Minorities InvisibleProblem people StereotypedWhitewashed/Othered

Coverage of Minority Diversity Globe and NP headlines from Globe = 383 headlines = +53, -255 NP = 417 headlines = +25, -311 TOTAL +10%. - 70%

Inclusivizing Education Monocultural Education Multicultural Education as Inclusive Education Types of MC Education Anti Racist education (vs MCE) enrichment enlightenment (embracive) empowerment MC EducationAnti Racist Education - attitudes/cultureBehaviour/structures

MC Education EnrichmentEnlightenmentEmbraciveEmpowering

Test no 1 Place – here Time 7-9 Wed, Nov 7 Snow date – nov 14 Content – class material + text (ch 1, 9, 10, 11) Format – MC + Short Answers

Sample Questions MC 1What sociological dimension is emphasized in this course? a) social b) cultural c) historical d) economic 2Which of the following is NOT a sociological perspective for studying REA relations? a) functionalism b) conflict c) symbolic d) pluralism Short Answer (3 sentences each) 1 Symbolic interactionist approach to multiculturalism 2 Conflict theory: Marxist vs Feminist