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History Post-confederation (1867-)

Before Official Multiculturalism

Women's Pluralism in Toronto, 1950s-1970s

by (author) Franca Iacovetta

Publisher
University of Toronto Press
Initial publish date
Nov 2022
Category
Post-Confederation (1867-), Multicultural Education, Women's Studies, Canadian Studies
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781487545659
    Publish Date
    Nov 2022
    List Price
    $39.95
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781487545642
    Publish Date
    Nov 2022
    List Price
    $39.95
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9781487545635
    Publish Date
    Nov 2022
    List Price
    $80.00

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Description

For almost two decades before Canada officially adopted multiculturalism in 1971, a large network of women and their allies in Toronto were promoting pluralism as a city- and nation-building project. Before Official Multiculturalism assesses women as liberal pluralist advocates and activists, critically examining the key roles they played as community organizers, frontline social workers, and promoters of ethnic festivals.

 

The book explores women’s community-based activism in support of a liberal pluralist vision of multiculturalism through an analysis of the International Institute of Metropolitan Toronto, a postwar agency that sought to integrate newcomers into the mainstream and promote cultural diversity. Drawing on the rich records of the Institute, as well as the massive International Institutes collection in Minnesota, the book situates Toronto within its Canadian and North American contexts and addresses the flawed mandate to integrate immigrants and refugees into an increasingly diverse city. Before Official Multiculturalism engages with national and international debates to provide a critical analysis of women’s pluralism in Canada.

About the author

Franca Iacovetta is professor emerita of history at the University of Toronto, and a past president of the Berkshire Conference of Women Historians. A historian of women/gender, migration, and transnational radicals, she has published eleven books, including Before Official Multiculturalism: Women’s Pluralism in Toronto, 1950s-1970s. Award-winning books include Gatekeepers: Reshaping Immigrant Lives in Cold War Canada and the co-edited Beyond Women’s Words. She lives in Toronto.

Franca Iacovetta's profile page

Awards

  • Short-listed, 2023 Heritage Toronto Book Award Awarded by Heritage Toronto