Social Inclusion

Canadian Perspectives

Edited by Ted Richmond, Anver Saloojee

How is the concept of social inclusion evolving in policy terms? Are we moving toward a common understanding or definition? What does social inclusion mean for issues like poverty and the growing racialization of poverty? What can we learn about social inclusion in theory and practice from the perspectives of the needs of children and their parents? What are the contributions of feminists and of the disability rights movement? What does social inclusion mean for Canada’s newcomers, for anti-racism and for the social citizenship of visible minority communities? What does it mean for Canada’s First Nations peoples? Are we moving in some way toward a coherent and policy relevant version of social inclusion “Made in Canada”? These are the issues explored in this volume of selected essays on social inclusion.

The chapters are drawn from working papers commissioned by the Laidlaw Foundation and essays written exclusively for this publication. Contributors include Ted Richmond and Anver Saloojee, Andrew Mitchell and Richard Shillington, Martha Friendly and Donna Lero, Meg Luxton, Catherine Frazee, Michael Bach, Ratna Omidvar and Ted Richmond, Anver Saloojee, Uzma Shakir and theNational Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC).

Contents

• Introduction and Overview
• Poverty, Inequality and Social Inclusion
• Social Inclusion Through Early Childhood Education and Care
• Feminist Perspectives on Social Inclusion and Children’s Well-Being
• Thumbs Up! Inclusion, Rights and Equality as Experienced by Youth with Disabilities 
• Social Inclusion as Solidarity: Rethinking the Child Rights Agenda 
• Immigrant Settlement and Social Inclusion in Canada 
• Social Inclusion, Anti-Racism and Democratic Citizenship 
• Dangers of a New Dogma: Inclusion or Else…! 
• Urban Aboriginal Peoples: A Challenge to the National Character

About the Authors

 Dr. Anver Saloojee is a Professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at Ryerson University. In addition to a PhD in Political Science from the University of Toronto, Anver holds a Master of Arts (MA) and a Bachelor of Arts (BA), both in Political Science from the University of Toronto.
Anver has been a member of the Department of Politics and Public Administration since 1987. He is past President of the Laidlaw Foundation, past Vice President of the Canadian Association of University Teachers and is a former Chair of the Ryerson Faculty Association’s Grievance Committee.
Anver co-edited a special edition of JIMI the Journal of International Migration and Integration. The special edition deals with newcomer political participation in select urban areas in Canada, the United States, Europe and Israel. Anver coauthered an article on newcomer political participation in Toronto for that edition of JIMI. With Myer Siemiatycki, Anver co-authored an article on Democratic Citizenship and they are currently working on two other articles on political participation, civic engagement and citizenship.
As part of the Laidlaw Foundations discussion papers on Social Inclusion, Anver authored a discussion paper titled “Social Inclusion, Anti-Racism and Democratic Citizenship.” Anver and Ted Richmond of the Laidlaw Foundation are currently editing a book on Social Inclusion. Anver continues to do research on issues of equity and human rights and has published in that area.
He has produced two editions of the workbook for the Distance Education version of POG315: “Equity and Human Rights.”
Anver has been invited to numerous conferences and workshops, where he has presented papers on a wide array of topics related to his areas of research.
 

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