Multiculturalism and Social Cohesion: Potentials and Challenges of Diversity (review)

Reviewed by: Multiculturalism and Social Cohesion: Potentials and Challenges of Diversity Jillian Paragg Jeffrey G. Reitz, Raymond Breton, Karen Kisiel Dion and Kenneth L. Dion, with the collaboration of Mai B. Phan and Rupa Banerjee. Multiculturalism and Social Cohesion: Potentials and Challenges of Diversity. New York: Springer, 2009. vii + 194 pp. $139.00 hc. Canada is unique in that it has adopted an official state-initiated policy of multiculturalism. However, the authors of Multiculturalism and Social Cohesion: Potentials and Challenges of Diversity argue that certain behavioural assumptions that are inherent in this policy need to be addressed. In the first chapter, the principal author, Jeffrey Reitz, outlines the central thesis of the book by stating that a theory of human behaviour regarding the dynamics of inter-ethnic relations underlies the philosophy of multiculturalism and multicultural policy. Advocates of multiculturalism presume that when individuals maintain strong ties with their ethnic communities, there are positive consequences for their social and psychological well-being as well as for their attachment to broader society. Thus diversity is assumed to have a positive influence on social cohesion. However, Reitz and his colleagues argue that in order for policy makers to formulate effective multicultural policy, it is necessary to know whether the underlying theoretical assumptions are actually reflected in Canadian society. Therefore, they seek to test whether these assumptions are empirically valid. This analysis is important for the advancement of discussions around multiculturalism and multicultural policy in Canada. A central strength of Reitz et al.’s volume is how they approach their analysis. Debates around multicultural policy and multicultural policy formulation tend to centre around whether the current policy “works.” However, the authors recognize that solely engaging in debates as to whether the current policy “works” fails to get to the core of what needs to be considered in discussions on multicultural policy formulation: whether multicultural policy “works” is dependent on the validity of its inherent assumptions. In their analysis, the authors valuably move beyond the usual superficial debates of whether multicultural policy “works,” meaningfully advancing discussions occurring in multicultural studies. For their analysis, Reitz and colleagues use data collected from Statistics Canada’s 2002 Ethnic Diversity Survey which surveyed over 41,000 Canadians, asking [End Page 300] them questions regarding their ethnic self-identification, ethnic community ties, and sense of attachment to Canadian society, among others. Each chapter in the volume is a separate investigation by individual authors. This format is problematic in that the chapters, at times, felt disconnected. Although the chapters were all framed as investigations into the assumptions of the theory of human behaviour that underlie multiculturalism, there was a detachment between the individual authors’ own analytical agendas and the central thesis positioned by the first chapter. Only in the final chapter are the individual contributions tied in with the central thesis of the volume. Perhaps the authors could have included a discussion at the end of each chapter in order to bring their findings into line with the goal of the volume as a whole instead of leaving it to the last chapter. Another strength of the volume are the findings of the study itself. From their analysis of the survey data, the authors found that some of the behavioural assumptions inherent in multicultural policy were confirmed and some were disproven. For example, respondents who gave more importance to their community’s culture and customs had a strong sense of belonging in Canada, leading to social cohesion. However, the development of a specifically Canadian identity appears to be slowed down by ethnic attachments. As Reitz states, the findings suggest that “diversity promises positive contributions to social cohesion, but it also presents significant challenges” (157). The findings of the study are significant for multicultural studies in Canada and for policy makers. Not all of the inherent assumptions of multicultural policy are validated. In the final chapter, the reader is also provided with a useful and practical discussion of the findings’ implications for policy in order to fully realize multiculturalism in Canada. Overall, it is imperative that the main findings of the study are included in policy discussions on multiculturalism, as they will enable the formulation and adoption of more effective multicultural policy...

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