Suchergebnisse

A discussion of Canada's current policy on official bilingualism focuses on both its moral validity in light of theories of citizenship & its potential to enhance civic solidarity. An overview of the historical roots of English-French duality since 1763, when New France was ceded to GB, highlights events that impacted the development of official bilingualism as a civic commitment. Three strands of citizenship that correspond to justifications for accepting or rejecting language rights for French & English-speaking Canadians are described as the liberal strand; the historical strand; & the democratic deliberation strand. The liberal strand emphasizes equal respect for all human beings; the historical strand stresses the value of a historical contract among those who founded the political community; & the democratic deliberation strand accentuates the value of the democratic process that defines the terms of citizenship. Special attention is given to the current status of these justifications, as well as ways in which they reflect moral & instrumental commitments. J. Lindroth