For many, Canadian multiculturalism represents the hope that we can build a society in which people who have come from all corners of the world can fully participate without first subverting or erasing their unique identities. Many progressive critics, however, dismiss this hope as an illusion that serves to mask ongoing racism and inequality. Foregrounding the capitalist nature of the Canadian state and society, On the Other Hand examines the arguments of a range of progressive critics of Canadian multiculturalism.

An exercise in “critical listening,” the book aims to both communicate and assess these progressive critiques. It proposes conditions for the intelligibility of social science analysis in general and reflects on the requirements for effective progressive thought and writing. Grounded in a political economy approach, the book argues that capitalism and the capitalist nature of the state must be integrated into our analysis of multiculturalism, immigration policy, and persistent racism.

On the Other Hand reveals how progressive critiques can identify real limits of multiculturalism: limits of which we must be aware if we are either to endorse them or seek to transcend them.

Phil Ryan is an associate professor in the School of Public Policy and Administration at Carleton University. His most recent book, Multicultiphobia, was shortlisted for the Canada Prize in the Social Sciences in 2011.

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