Social Inclusion, Anti-Racism and Democratic Citizenship
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WORKING PAPER SERIES PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL INCLUSION Social Inclusion, Anti-Racism and Democratic Citizenship Anver Saloojee JANUARY 2 003 PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL INCLUSION Social Inclusion, Anti-Racism and Democratic Citizenship Anver Saloojee Professor Saloojee teaches in the Department of Politics and School of Public Administration, Ryerson University, Toronto. He is a Board member of the Laidlaw Foundation, on the Executive Committee of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) and Chair of its Equity Committee. Copyright © 2003 The Laidlaw Foundation The views expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Laidlaw Foundation. National Library of Canada Cataloguing in Publication Saloojee, Anver, 1951- Social inclusion, anti-racism and democratic citizenship / Anver Saloojee. (Working paper series Perspectives on social inclusion) Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0-9731957-1-1 1. Race discrimination. 2. Social integration. 3. Multiculturalism. 4. Social integration--Government policy. I. Laidlaw Foundation II. Title. III. Series: Perspectives on social inclusion working paper series. FC105 M8 S23 2003 305.8 C2003-900438-4 F1035.A1S23 2003 The Laidlaw Foundation 365 Bloor Street East, Suite 2000 Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4W 3L4 Tel.: (416) 964-3614 Fax: (416) 975-1428 President Paul Zarnke Executive Director Nathan Gilbert Editing and Layout Is five Communications This paper is part of the Laidlaw Foundation’s Working Paper Series, Perspectives on Social Inclusion. The full papers (in English only) and the summaries in French and English can be down- loaded from the Laidlaw Foundation’s web site at www.laidlawfdn.org under Children’s Agenda/ Working Paper Series on Social Inclusion or ordered from [email protected] Price: $11.00 full paper; $6.00 Summaries (Taxes do not apply and shipment included). PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL INCLUSION iii Table of Contents About the Laidlaw Foundation..................................................................v Foreword..............................................................................................vii Social Inclusion, Anti-Racism and Democratic Citizenship...............................1 Introduction..........................................................................................1 Racism as Social Exclusion........................................................................2 Social Inclusion and Democratic Citizenship: Understanding the Limits of Multiculturalism........................................................................9 Public Policy Approaches That Make Social Inclusion Real...........................14 Conclusions.........................................................................................18 Endnotes.............................................................................................19 Bibliography.........................................................................................20 iv PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL INCLUSION v About the Laidlaw Foundation The Laidlaw Foundation is a private, public-interest foundation that uses its human and financial resources in innovative ways to strengthen civic engagement and social cohesion. The Foundation uses its capital to better the environments and fulfill the capacities of children and youth, to enhance the opportunities for human development and creativity and to sustain healthy communities and ecosystems. The Foundation supports a diverse portfolio of innovative and often unconventional projects in three program areas: in the arts, in the environment and improving the life prospects for children, youth and families. Working for social inclusion is a theme that underlies much of the Foundation’s activities. The key words in the Foundation’s mission — human development, sustainable communities and ecosystems — imply that achievement will rely on the enhancement of capacity and capability. Not only is social inclusion being developed as an emerging funding stream, it is an embedded Laidlaw Foundation value, both structurally and programmatically. Nathan Gilbert Executive Director For more information about the Laidlaw Foundation please contact us at: The Laidlaw Foundation Tel: 416 964-3614 Fax: 416 975-1428 Email: [email protected] www.laidlawfdn.org vi PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL INCLUSION vii Foreword: The Laidlaw Foundation’s Perspective on Social Inclusion The context for social inclusion hildren have risen to the top of gov- These situations provide the context for ernment agendas at various times over the Laidlaw Foundation’s interest in social Cthe past decade, only to fall again inclusion. The Foundation’s Children’s Agenda whenever there is an economic downturn, a program first began exploring social inclusion budget deficit, a federal-provincial relations in 2000 as a way to re-focus child and family crisis or, most recently, a concern over terror- policy by: ism and national security. While there have •re-framing the debate about poverty, vul- been important achievements in public policy nerability and the well-being of children in the past 5 to 10 years, there has not been a in order to highlight the social dimen- sustained government commitment to children sions of poverty (i.e. the inability to par- nor a significant improvement in the well- ticipate fully in the community) being of children and families. In fact, in many areas, children and families have lost • linking poverty and economic vulnerabil- ground and social exclusion is emerging as a ity with other sources of exclusion such major issue in Canada. Examples abound and as racism, disability, rejection of differ- include these facts. ence and historic oppression • the over-representation of racial minority • finding common ground among those families and children among those living concerned about the well-being of fami- in poverty in large cities, and the denial lies with children to help generate greater of access to many services by immigrant public and political will to act. and refugee families; • the 43% increase in the number of chil- The Foundation commissioned a series of dren in poverty in Canada since 1989, working papers to examine social inclusion the 130% increase in the number of chil- from a number of perspectives. Although the dren in homeless shelters in Toronto, as authors approach the topic from different well as the persistence of one of the high- starting points and emphasize different aspects est youth incarceration rates among of exclusion and inclusion, there are important Commonwealth countries; common threads and conclusions. The work- ing papers draw attention to the new realities • the exclusion of children with disabilities and new understandings that must be brought from public policy frameworks (e.g. the to bear on the development of social policy National Children’s Agenda), from defi- and the creation of a just and healthy society. nitions of ‘healthy’ child development and, all too often, from community life. Foreword: The Laidlaw Foundation's Perspective viii These are: The ‘one size fits all approach’ is no longer acceptable and has never been effective in • Whether the source of exclusion is pover- advancing the well-being of children and ty, racism, fear of differences or lack of families. political clout, the consequences are the same: a lack of recognition and accept- •Public policy must be more closely linked ance; powerlessness and ‘voicelessness’; to the lived experiences of children and economic vulnerability; and, diminished families, both in terms of the actual pro- life experiences and limited life prospects. grams and in terms of the process for For society as a whole, the social exclusion arriving at those policies and programs. of individuals and groups can become a This is one of the reasons for the growing major threat to social cohesion and eco- focus on cities and communities, as places nomic prosperity. where inclusion and exclusion happen. •A rights-based approach is inadequate to •Universal programs and policies that serve address the personal and systemic exclu- all children and families generally provide sions experienced by children and adults. a stronger foundation for improving well- People with disabilities are leading the way being than residual, targeted or segregated in calling for approaches based on social approaches. The research and anecdotal inclusion and valued recognition to deliver evidence for this claim is mounting from what human rights claims alone cannot. the education, child development and population health sectors. •Diversity and difference, whether on the basis of race, disability, religion, culture or gender, must be recognized and valued. Understanding social inclusion ocial exclusion emerged as an important contributing members of society. It is, there- policy concept in Europe in the 1980s in fore, a normative (value based) concept - a way Sresponse to the growing social divides of raising the bar and understanding where we that resulted from new labour market condi- want to be and how to get there. tions and the inadequacy of existing social wel- Social inclusion reflects a proactive, fare provisions to meet the changing needs of human development approach to social well- more diverse populations. Social inclusion is being that calls for more than the removal of not, however, just a response to exclusion. barriers or risks. It requires investments and Although many of the working papers use action to bring about the conditions for inclu-