No longer ‘the other’: A reflection on diversity in Canadian fiction television

Abstract

Canada has played a leadership role in the development of multiculturalism and its use in ethnic and minority television broadcasting as an integrative tool for cultural and racial constituency groups. Canada has mainly opted to emphasize private ethnic broadcasting as the means by which to integrate minorities, along with the support of the public broadcasters’ progressive initiatives. After historically differentiating and framing ethnic/multicultural research and programming initiatives in Canada, this article identifies some lessons and best practices that have emerged from this experience. Using policy analysis from a historical perspective, the authors analyse the enabling mechanisms and strengths, as well as the obstacles and failures that have been experienced in an effort to build an integrated, cohesive and transformative television system in which all members of society are recognized as having a right to both fair portrayal practices and employment opportunities.

Cultural Diversity in Canadian Television: The Case of CBC’s Kim’s Convenience

“…The Canadian multiculturalism policy announced in 1971 was unique, as it was designed to operate within a bilingual framework (Mackey 1999; Roth et al 2011). As a response to the recommendation of the 1963 Laurendeau-Dunton Commission on bilingualism and biculturalism (or the B and B Commission) that “bilingualism and biculturalism are indivisible,” the policy defines the relationship between language and culture in such a way that “biculturalism does not properly describe our society; multiculturalism is more accurate.…”

“…; House of Commons 1971, 8545). Indeed, this limited multiculturalism with an emphasis on Anglo-Franco languages (and subsequently the cultures of those official languages) consistently underscores Canadian broadcasting activities, especially how cultural diversity is defined and practiced (Raboy 2010; Roth et al 2011). Kim’s Convenience as the first story about a third-language Korean Canadian immigrant family to air on bilingual CBC is, therefore, unofficial multilingualism finally emerging within official bilingualism in Canadian broadcasting, and deserves research attention.…”

Cultural diversity policies in Europe: Between integration and security

“…Such practices may hinder truly intercultural collaboration and production, no matter the regulatory framework or institutional/managerial infrastructure. In order for transformation to happen, journalists and producers need to take their multifaceted audiences seriously (d’Haenens, 2011; Roth et al, 2011).…”