The Civil Sphere in Canada
When activists, advocates, victims of injustice, and ordinary citizens seek to advance (or block) social justice and cohesion, they draw on morally charged ideals. But the wellsprings of solidarity and conflict are complex in a society as diverse as Canada, and subject to change as the meanings we attach to key social actors, activities, and institutions evolve.
The Civil Sphere in Canada digs into the dynamics of inclusion and exclusion that animate Canadian civil society. Contributors analyze how social perceptions have shifted and been mobilized by individuals and groups, especially historically marginalized groups, tackling such issues as Indigenous–settler relations, media scandals, progressive policy making, multiculturalism, urban planning, and personal relations. These distinctively Canadian cases demonstrate that legislative and institutional change is preceded by transformations in meaning. Before social justice can be done, we must agree on the injustice: profoundly harmful behaviours such as cultural appropriation, sexual misconduct, institutional racism, and even genocide may pass as routine for years before the public decides that they are unacceptable breaches of civil order.
Employing civil sphere theory – developed by Jeffrey Alexander to advance understanding of the role of civil society in effecting social change – this superb collection ushers Canadian voices into a burgeoning international debate.
Canadian social scientists engaged in social justice, solidarity, and civil repair issues will find this nuanced work a stimulating and rewarding read, as will a wide range of scholars who are making global interventions in civil sphere theory.
The Civil Sphere in Canada demonstrates how social theory done well can help make sense of even the most challenging and intractable social issues. By applying civil sphere theory to the Canadian context, this volume uncovers new insights on the ties that bind, and divide, societies characterised by ethnic, racial, and national diversity.
This book is a major contribution to cultural sociology, laying the groundwork for future studies in civil sphere theory. It is also a game changer in debates on diversity and multiculturalism in Canada.
Jeffrey C. Alexander is the Lillian Chavenson Saden Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Yale University, founder and codirector of Yale’s Center for Cultural Sociology, and coeditor of the American Journal of Cultural Sociology. Among his numerous publications are The Civil Sphere, Civil Repair, and What Makes a Social Crisis? Mervyn Horgan is an associate professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Guelph. He has published widely on urban studies, social interaction, housing, stigmatization, cultural sociology, and social theory in journals including Social Inclusion, Journal of Intercultural Studies, Pragmatics, and the Canadian Review of Sociology/Revue Canadienne de Sociologie, as well as well as in numerous edited collections.
Contributors: Bruna Brito, Brieg Capitaine, Jean-François Côté, Laura Eramian, Zachary Hyde, Lily Ivanova, Mandy Na’zinek Jimmie, Thomas Kemple, Daniel Kudla, Fuyuki Kurasawa, Saara Liinamaa, Peter Mallory, Matt Patterson, Dean Ray, Elisabeth Rondinelli, Allyson Stokes, Galen Watts, Chris Worden
Introduction: Civil Sphere Theory and the Study of Canada / Jeffrey C. Alexander and Mervyn Horgan
Part 1: Modes of Incorporation
1 Recognizing Genocide in the Canadian Civil Sphere: Negotiating Survivor and Settler Identities through Interactive Theatre on Reconciliation / Lily Ivanova
2 The Indigenous Civil Sphere: The Past, Present, and Future of Indigenous Solidarity in the Nicola Valley and Beyond / Dean Ray and Mandy Na’zinek Jimmie
3 Canada’s Multiculturalism and Quebec’s Interculturalism: The Transcultural American Experience and the Debated Modes of Incorporation into the Civil Sphere / Jean-François Côté
4 Trauma Work and Civil Repair: The Impossible Solidarity in the Quebec Civil Sphere / Brieg Capitaine
Part 2: Mediating Levels and Spaces
5 The Civil Sphere in Everyday Life: Public Space and the Boundaries of Civil Inclusion / Mervyn Horgan
6 Sanctuary Cities and the Urban Civil Sphere: Non-Status Migrants in the News / Saara Liinamaa
7 Civil Places: Canada’s Reform Era of Urban Politics and Planning as a Civil Sphere Movement / Zachary Hyde
8 Donald J. Trump and the Anglo-Canadian Civil Sphere: A Civil Sphere Theory Defence of Nationalism / Galen Watts
Part 3: Intersphere Relations
9 Programming Equity: How Arts Programmers Respond to Civil Repair in Publicly Funded Arts Organizations / Chris Worden
10 More or Less Canada: Civic Capitalism and Extractive Mining in Global Perspective / Thomas Kemple
11 Putting Policy into Practice: Intersectionality and the Civil State in Canada / Elisabeth Rondinelli
12 Friendship and the Civil Sphere: Convergences, Intrusions, and Contradictions / Peter Mallory and Laura Eramian
Part 4: Societalization and Civil Repair
13 Cultural Entrepreneurship and Societalization: The Founding of the Royal Ontario Museum / Matt Patterson
14 The Societalization of Sexual Misconduct in Canada: From the Ghomeshi Scandal to State Reforms / Daniel Kudla, Allyson Stokes, and Bruna Brito
Conclusion: On the Canadianization of Civil Sphere Theory and the Civil Retheorization of Canada / Fuyuki Kurasawa
Index
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