Understanding Diversity

The Canadian census lists more than one hundred ethnicities in the Canadian population, making it rather unique even among modern, multi-ethnic nations. Understanding Diversity is a core text for use at universities and colleges across Canada. Its aim is to stimulate students to think about ethnicity and race in a more systematic, analytical manner -- one that will lead to a better understanding of the important place of ethnicity in Canada and in the global society. Over the past 30 years or so, an entire body of theoretical and empirical knowledge has developed about ethnicity and ethnic and race relations in Canada. While researchers may disagree on specific issues, they have much in common and they share a basic agreement on the importance of quantitative and qualitative methods in resolving their outstanding differences. This book describes the essential features of the 'sub-discipline' that has emerged in this area and it details what we know, don't know, and still need to know about ethnicity and ethnic and race relations in Canada.