Poirier, C. (2010) « Proactive Cities and Cultural Diversity:Policy Issues and Dynamics »

7/29/2019 Poirier, C. (2010) Proactive Cities and Cultural Diversity:Policy Issues and Dynamics

1/524 Our diverse cities

Proactive Cities and Cultural Diversity:Policy Issues and Dynamics

CHRISTIAN POIRIERInstitition national de la recherche scientique (INRS) - Centre Urbanisation, Culture, Socit

Abstract: This article discusses the primary orms o intervention, both practical and discursive,used by municipalities that want to be proactive in managing ethnic diversity. It oers a reviewo the scientifc literature on the subject and also presents the example o the City o Gatineau.

Cultural diversity is a undamental aspect o

urban lie, particularly in large metropolitan

cities. This cosmopolitanism now extends beyondthe metropolitan context and aects all cities

that have experienced signicant diversication

o their populations in recent years. Municipalities

such as Haliax, Gatineau, London and Calgary

have adopted various measures to promote

the harmonious cohabitation o dierences.

This increased involvement by municipal

administrations o all sizes is not insignicant.

Over the past 20 years, a number o major trends,

including an increase in the political legitimacy

o local governments, demands rom civil society(citizens groups), policy statements by agencies

representing municipal interests, and political

and administrative decentralization, have led to a

greater assumption o responsibility or diversity

issues at the local level.1 Incidentally, according

to Pestieau and Wallace (2003), the ethnic

diversication o the population is elt most

keenly at the local level. This article provides an

overview and a discussion o the primary means

by which proactive municipalities are interveningin this area.2

1 See, among others, Berthet and Poirier (2000),Fainstein (2005), Frisken and Wallace (2000), Garbaye(2002), Germain et al. (2003), Germain and Alain (2009),Gaxie et al. (1999), Graham and Phillips (2006), Jouve andGagnon (2006), Labelle et al. (1996), Lapeyronnie (1992),Musterd et al. (1998), Par et al. (2002), Poirier (2005),Poirier (2006a, 2006b), Qadeer (1997), Sandercock (2003),Siemiatycki (2006), and Wallace and Frisken (2004).

2 These reections are the result of researchprojects funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities

a bode defniion o divesiy nd poliis

Our research demonstrates the importanceo adopting a broader denition o cultura

diversity, encompassing both newcomers and

people who declare themselves members o

a cultural community, including second- and

third-generation Canadians. The need to examine

ethnic characteristics in conjunction with

other identity markers, whether age or sex, is

important.3 The specic problems o, or example

immigrant women, the elderly or young people

must be identied. This perspective also include

all relationships between citizens, whatever

community they belong to, which necessarily

implies the society they have joined.

In terms o policies, Siemiatycki et al. (2001

identiy our categories o institutional response

to diversity: pioneers (proactive, implement majo

reorganization that takes diversity into account)

learners (recognize the importance o diversity

and initiate change), waverers (aware o issues

related to diversity but reuse to get involved)and resisters (reuse to accept diversity).

Research Council of Canada, as well as research conductedwhile developing Together!, the City of Gatineaus policyon cultural diversity, for which we were the principalresearcher and consultant (we would like to thank theVille de Gatineau, Annie-Claude Scholts and our researchassistants, Ccile Poirier, Nevena Mitropolitska and AmlieBillette).

3 See the special issue of Canadian Diversity/Diversit canadienne (2004) on intersections of diversity.


2/525Our diverse cities

We have already noted (Poirier 2006a) that

the management o diversity has two main

dimensions: policies and administrative

mechanisms, and models. The repertoire o

possible policies and administrative mechanisms

includes the ollowing: establishing a receptionstrategy, creating a unit responsible or diversity,

creating an advisory council (or committee) made

up o representatives o cultural communities,

implementing an employment equity program in

the municipal public service, increasing municipal

employees intercultural awareness and providing

them with intercultural training, supporting

multi-ethnic associations, providing inormation

and translation/interpretation services, running

activities to raise awareness (workshops,

intercultural days, debates, exchanges, publicitycampaigns, displays in libraries, visits to schools,

work with media), establishing intercultural

estivals and celebrations, adopting a declaration

against discrimination and racism, adapting

municipal services in general (culture, sports and

recreation, housing, community lie, and so orth)

to take account o the intercultural dimension,

promoting economic integration, establishing a

multicultural centre or bridge-building activities,

and orming ongoing relationships with partners

(associations, institutions, governments, and so

on).4 Participation, particularly political, must

also be encouraged.5

Many o these activities involve areas o authority

shared by other levels o government. However,

municipalities may play an important role, either

directly or by encouraging other governments to

adopt the necessary policies. More undamentally,

they may play a role in establishing relationships

and creating an interace among the variousstakeholders (Poirier 2006a).

With regard to models, the discourse o the main

4 Graham and Phillips (2006) also establish a seriesof measures that can be found in our listing.

5 See, in this regard, Biles and Tolley (2004); Bird(2004); Fennema and Tillie (1999); Garbaye (2002); andSimard (2001).

actors and the discursive reerents are important

because they reer to the integration models

implemented. There are usually three conceptions

o public management o the sociocultural space

(Alexander 2003; Poirier 2006b): assimilationism

(assimilation in the public and private spheres),universalism (neutrality in the public sphere,

expression o dierences in the private sphere) and

multiculturalism (expression o dierences in the

public and private spheres, institutionalization o

dierences). In response to, in particular, criticism

o multiculturalism and specically the lack o

interaction among the dierent communities and

a tendency toward their compartmentalization,

a ourth model has emergedinterculturalism

that seeks a compromise between universalism

and multiculturalism and ormally encouragesintercultural exchanges. These models are oten

the most visible aspect o municipal policy and

receive the most attention in the public space and

the media, and they necessarily infuence the type

o measures adopted. The important challenge

remains one o reconciling the establishment o

common practices and values with respect and

the ull expression o dierences.

the exmple o gineu

Quebecs ourth largest city in terms o population

(281,650 in 2006), Gatineau ranks second

among Quebecs urban centres or the size o its

immigrant population (8.1%).6 Several actors

explain this diversication o the population: the

Quebec governments regionalization policies,

amily relocation, the infux o reugees, the

presence o an Aboriginal population and

Gatineaus location next to Canadas national

capital, Ottawa, which has a high proportion ocitizens born abroad. Gatineau also has one o

the highest retention rates in Quebec. While the

City had already adopted a series o measures

(creation o a position devoted to intercultural

6 See Ministre de lImmigration et desCommunauts culturelles du Qubec, Population immigrerecense au Qubec et dans les rgions en 2006 :caractristiques gnrales, May 2009.



relations, support o events encouraging

intercultural bridge building, membership in the

Canadian Coalition o Municipalities Against

Racism and Discrimination, appointment o a

municipal councillor responsible or this issue,

and so on), it chose to go one step urther byormally adopting a policy and action plan.7

First, an inclusive and broadened denition o

cultural diversity was proposed, rened and

adopted: the variety o all culture-related values

and characteristics with which a person can

identiy, such as ethnic origin, language, religion,

and multiple aliations, including aliation

with the local identity. As can be seen, this

approach concerns all o Gatineau society. Such

a perspective must o necessity be supportedby a broadened denition o the very essence

o a cultural diversity policy, that is, the set o

models, actions and mechanisms that Gatineau

can put in place and use to create conditions

that oster intercultural bridge building; being

open to what is dierent, and welcoming and

integrating it into the local community; public

participation in the new issues and challenges

that this represents; and adjustment o the citys

policies, structures and services

All dimensions o the migratory process are

addressed (reception, integration, participation,

retention) and guidelines are established,

including recognition o cultural diversity as

a orm o wealth and a orce or development,

respect or gender equality, the need to combat

prejudice, racism and discrimination, the

importance o French as a common language,

and so orth. Six general aims leading to various

commitments structure the policy: 1) in terms omodels, an approach inspired by interculturalism;

2) uniying values based specically on the

guidelines; 3) a proactive leadership role based

on partnership; 4) a barrier-ree territory, a

7 See Together!, the City of Gatineaus policyon cultural diversity, 2008 (available at http://www.ville.gatineau.qc.ca/docs/la_ville/administration_municipale/politiques_vision/politique_matiere_diversite_culturelle.en-CA.pdf).

neighbourhood approach; 5) an integrated

horizontal and intersectoral policy involving

adjustments to internal governance; and 6) active

citizen participation. A number o concrete

activity sectors are identied to meet these

aims: arts and culture, sports and recreation, theeconomy, employment, housing and territoria

development, community lie, health and the

environment, saety and security (including

policing), education, public services, and

communications and participatory governance

Finally, an action plan serves to implement this

policy.8

conlusion

Cities seeking to be the most proactive haveadopted a broader denition o cultural diversity

as well as a horizontal approach with impact on al

sectors in which they can exercise their authority

The models vary considerably, with cities in

Quebec usually opting or the intercultura

perspective or reasons that are both cultural and

historic. More generally, our research reveals that

these measures are intrinsically related to how

the municipal government and the scope o its

authority are perceived. It is also undamental to

ensure cooperative intergovernmental relations

as well as the active participation o civil society

and other institutions. These are essentia

conditions or any eort at the local level to

ormulate and establish practical and conceptua

conditions or a mode o living together that is

pluralistic and inclusive.

abou he auho

Christian Poirier is a professor and researcheat the Institition national de la recherchescientique (INRS) Centre UrbanisationCulture, Socit. His research and publicationsfocus on the analysis of organizations and cultura

8 Some measures have not been adopted, includingthe creation of an advisory committee, because the City iscurrently reviewing all of its committees. The policy is to beevaluated in a few years, and this will give an indication ofits effectiveness.


4/527Our diverse cities

institutions, governance and cultural policy,cultural industries, the cultural dynamics of cities,as well as identity issues and issues relating toethnocultural diversity, particularly municipaldiversity policies and relationships between artand cultural communities. He is a member of the

Chaire Fernand-Dumont sur la culture; the QuebecMetropolis Centre-Immigration et Mtropoles; theLaboratoire Art et Socit, Terrains et Thories;

and the network Villes Rgions Monde.

reeenes

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Poirier, C. (2010) « Proactive Cities and Cultural Diversity:Policy Issues and Dynamics »

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Transcript of Poirier, C. (2010) « Proactive Cities and Cultural Diversity:Policy Issues and Dynamics »