University of Windsor Scholarship at UWindsor Electronic Theses and Dissertations Theses, Dissertations, and Major Papers 2005 Strange fruit: The reification of acer and the myth of official multiculturalism in selected Canadian media. Rawle G. Agard University of Windsor Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/etd Recommended Citation Agard, Rawle G., "Strange fruit: The reification of acer and the myth of official multiculturalism in selected Canadian media." (2005). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 3599. https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/etd/3599 This online database contains the full-text of PhD dissertations and Masters’ theses of University of Windsor students from 1954 forward. These documents are made available for personal study and research purposes only, in accordance with the Canadian Copyright Act and the Creative Commons license—CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivative Works). 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Further reproduction prohibited without permission. © Rawle G. Agard, 2005 All rights Reserved Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Abstract This thesis investigates the concept of ‘race’ and its place within the discourse of ‘official multiculturalism’ in the Canadian context. More specifically, I explore the ways that ‘race’ has been coded in the popular media in my examination of selected articles from the Toronto Star’s coverage of: Philippe Rushton, human genome research, and racial profiling practiced by the Toronto Police Service. Through a textual analysis that combines the insights of Barthes’(1972) notion of myth as well as tools derived from critical discourse analysis, this research reveals that a conservative racialized discourse lies beneath The Star’s seemingly critical stance on issues of racism. Indeed, although The Star appears, ostensibly, to be critical of racism it, nonetheless, maintains and perpetuates dominant perceptions of ‘race’ as both an objective genetic entity and a permanent category that exists in culture. Despite my findings and the fact that most progressive social scientists refrain from employing the construct of ‘race’ as a determinant of specific social phenomena, discussions of ‘race’ - as a fixed analytical and descriptive category - continue to dominate popular and media discourses. Such rigid characterizations are also prevalent in the official narratives of Canadian multiculturalism that attempt to define and categorize citizens into clearly delineable groupings under the rubric of ‘difference’. This notion of ‘difference’, couched in the broader ‘liberal’ discourse of tolerance and diversity, however, continues to reinscribe ‘race’ as a fixed cultural category. Moreover, such formulations tend to contain the vestiges of colonialist legacies. In order to dismantle the ‘strange fruits’ that ‘racisms’ bear within today’s multicultural society, one must first understand, and then demystify the common myth about ‘race’ as a social and historical construct imbedded in the colonialist ideologies of Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. imperial domination as they are imbricated in the policies and practices of ‘official multiculturalism’ in Canada. This undertaking must be premised on the notion that the modem concept of ‘race’ comes out of the existence of racism and not vice versa. Indeed, the popular concept of ‘race’ must be reconsidered if any meaningful anti-racist discourse is to be articulated and put into the broader aims of social justice. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. vi Acknowledgements I would like to thank Dr. Irvin Goldman for his guidance and wisdom throughout my scholarly journey. His enthusiasm for the material covered in this thesis is a testament to his hard work and dedication to the study of communication that is reflected in my own enthusiasm for continued scholarship in this vast field. My other co-advisor, Dr. James Winter, was very keen on my academic development over the past two years. He has been a great source of enlightenment on various issues of media literacy, contributing to my growth as a critical scholar through both his graduate seminar and his sharp counsel. I am especially indebted to his insightful suggestions throughout the duration of this project. Although she was invited to take a position on this committee late in this project’s development, Dr. Valerie Scatamburlo D’Annibale has been a guiding inspiration from the outset of this task. I am eternally grateful for her wisdom and passion for teaching and learning that has enabled her to provide helpful suggestions and feedback for my research even when she did not have to. Her vast knowledge and insights on a seemingly endless array of subjects cannot be overlooked in the work that follows. At times when I would find myself tangled in the theoretical web of my own research, Professor Leigh West was an excellent source of questions and criticisms that helped ground my work, influencing me to be more conscious of potential readers outside of this department in my writing. Although he was not on my committee and I had no classes with him, Dr. Garth Rennie provided me with valuable sources that were critical in formulating some key issues found in this thesis. His positive energy throughout this process was unmatched. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Indeed, I am indebted to Sandy Van Zetten, Anne Gallant, and Sharron Wazny for helping me with some of my departmental and administrative queries. These individuals have made the detailed tasks involved with graduate life all the more easier. I would like to make a special mention to Dr. Marlene Cuthbert and Dr. Kai Hildebrandt. Their support and wisdom has been a great influence to me while I was an undergraduate student. As a result, their continued encouragement has sparked my desire to continue further into an academic career. Moreover, a section on acknowledgements could not be complete without mentioning the company of colleagues that have been with me throughout this graduate school adventure. Of this brilliant group of young scholars I would like to extend a special mention to: Leif Schumacher, Jeremy Marentette, Maya Ruggles, Lisa Bastien, and Irena Knezevic. Our discussions on a varied array of topics have been priceless in this journey that we have embarked on together. Of this group Leif Schumacher deserves particular thanks as he has been especially helpful