Multiculturalism Policy in Canada: Exploring the Dispute with Québec through Framing Analysis.

Abstract

Multiculturalism has been an official federal government policy in Canada since 1971 and is strongly associated with the country. However, from its inception, it has been met with strong criticism and opposition in the predominantly French-speaking province of Québec. While the long history of French-English conflicts in Canada has been explored, there is a paucity of comprehensive literature that focuses on the resurgence of this particular dispute in the last decade. This period includes Québec's adoption of several new, high profile, and controversial policies and laws that mark a rejection of the federal policy. To help fill this gap, and develop a more specific and contemporary description of this dispute, this paper uses frame analysis as a lens through which to examine a range of sources including news articles, government documents, press releases, speeches and interviews. Through this analysis six frames used by federal and provincial actors are identified and discussed: "Unique Cultural Preservation", "Québecois as Dominant Culture" and "Provincial Autonomy" on one side; and "Cultural Diversity and Pluralism", "Accommodation" and "National Unity" on the other. The findings reveal that the dispute is rooted in a historic struggle for power between the province and the federal government...