Issues part deux....

So far this term we have been examining how Canada had emerged from the 2nd World War and the burgeoning Counter Culture movement that has provided many with a stage to promote their previously unheard views. As we move out of the 1960's and into the '70's and '80's we see the beginnings (or perhaps more precisely the continuation) of rising tensions between French and English Canada that will continue to dramatically change how we look at ourselves as a nation. As well we will also examine the proliferation of tensions between the Canadian West and its big brother in the East.

As you begin to prepare for the next Issues seminar please use the STUDY GUIDE that I will provide in class and post on the blog.

If you have time please read this ARTICLE that speaks to both Western Alienation and Separatism. After you finish please comment on the questions at the end of the article.

Well done on the first of our four Issues essays. Next class we will be picking up where we left off after the presentations before the holidays. We continue to discuss the 1960's and into the '70's as we examine issues surrounding Immigration, the beginnings of the Environmental Movement and questions about our developing relationship with the Untied States.

During class we will open the floor for discussion about many of these issues, but for now please consider the following:

The American model of immigration is one called the “melting pot,” while Canada has an
official policy of multiculturalism. A brief summary of the theories:

• The melting pot – encourages assimilation of minority groups; they are supposed to
embrace the language, values, and history of the dominant group.
• Multiculturalism – acknowledges that minority groups generally have less power,
and are more likely to be discriminated against. This policy attempts to embrace
diversity and difference between cultures, and protects freedoms such as religion,
holidays, etc.

While there is debate over the multicultural policy both qualitative (anecdotal) and
quantitative (statistics) do show that there tends to be lower levels of racism, hate crimes,
and discrimination in countries that promote multiculturalism.

What is your opinion of Canada’s multiculturalism policy? To what extent do you believe it should be protected and upheld?

Welcome Back and Issues

Welcome back from your holiday. I hope you have all returned rested and eager to jump back into term two. We begin the year with the first of four installments in our Issues Program. If you missed the original handout for the program it is linked on the side bar. Each of the four installments takes place over three days with a research, seminar and in-class essay day.

On the first day back you will be given research time in class to prep for the first seminar in the program. Remember that you will need one or two outside sources (that is other than your textbook) for the essay and thus you will want to find those during this period. For further details about what is required of you in the Issues Program please refer to the handout (again, linked on the sidebar).

You will need to brush up on your APA style formatting. If you need help please check the link on the sidebar.

During the first seminar we are going to be debating issues surrounding these topics:

Seminar 1:
- Canadian Politics to 1960
- Hobbes vs Locke
- Social Safety Net vs individualism
Out of your textbook
• The Welfare State pp. 168-9
• The CCF in Power pp.174-5
• The Canadian Bill of Rights pp.212-3

This handout right here will be the basis for the seminar discussion and you will have to take sides for each question. Please come prepared.