Disentangling the Debate - Reading #1 - Class 7 (05/26/15)

Disentangling the Debate

by Will Kymlicka

In Disentangling the Debate, Kymlicka discusses multiculturalism, freedom of religion, and immigrant integration. In the article’s first section he divides the definition of multiculturalism into three parts: multiculturalism as fact, which makes reference to Canada’s ethnic, linguistic and religious diversity; multiculturalism as policy, referring to the Canadian constitutional recognition of ethnocultural diversity; and multiculturalism as ethos, which defines how Canadians perceive and discuss diversity.

Kymlicka categorizes multiculturalism into these three sections in order to better respond to Professor’s Stein’s concerns about potential conflicts between religious freedom and equality rights. 

The author illustrates Professor’s Stein concerns with dilemmas such as whether or not religious organizations should be allowed to discriminate against women or gays, and if healthcare facilities run by religious organizations should be forced to provide information on contraception and abortion. While Kymlicka recognizes the relevance of these issues, he claims that it is uncertain how this is related to either immigration or multiculturalism. Kymlicka disagrees with Stein’s beliefs that multiculturalism “has tipped the scales in favour of greater deference to religious freedom and against equality rights.”

Another important aspect presented in this section concerns the fact that Professor Stein is “worried that giving a carte blanche to religious organizations can reflect a failure to take our equality norms seriously, and that the effects of this failure may get worse if religious orthodoxy grows. More and more inequalities may get smuggled in and protected under the rubric of religious freedom.” Kymlicka argues this concern by stating that multiculturalism policy is to be understood as a vital component of the human rights revolution and as an extension of the culture of rights (legal requirements of non-discrimination by the state and the private sector).  He also argues that there is nothing in the multiculturalism policy that supports claims for religious exemptions from equality rights. According to Kymlicka, this is a pre-modern doctrine (libertas eccleasaie), which gives religious institutions wide exemptions from equality rights.

In the last section of the article, Kymlicka addresses Professor Stein’s second concern, immigrant integration. Stein worries that new immigrants are facing economic inequality more so than previous immigrants. She also expresses concerns about some minorities expressing less feelings of belonging to Canada. Though Kymlicka recognizes these issues, he believes Canada is still doing better than many other countries and that multiculturalism is still facilitating the integration of its new arrivals.

I personally found this article to be very useful and insightful. However, I find some of Kymlicka’s arguments to be debatable. He states that though Canada may have some challenges, political integration is working well. As a recent immigrant myself, I find this can be challenged and disputed by many new immigrants who are unsatisfied with the integration process and whose reality reflects otherwise.

Another debatable fact is that second-generation visible minority Canadians often have less of a sense of belonging to Canada than other nationals do. Kymlicka states that this is largely due to the perception that they are discriminated against. I do not see this as a perception but as concrete. It is a reality many people are facing and should be looked at in detail as it can lead to other social problems. My question would be, should Canada expand its funded programs under the multiculturalism policy or are the ones currently in place able to meet our needs?