CONTEXTUALIZING DIVERGENT PERSPECTIVES : THE SEARCH FOR CANADIAN IDENTITY Paul Carr Ryerson Polytechnic University Toronto, Ontario LA MISE EN CONTEXTE DE DIFFERENTES PERSPECTIVES: A LA RECHERCHE DE L ' IDENTITE CANADIENNE L'auteur traite de la problematique de la formation de 1'identite. II soutient qu'il y a un lien entre In facon dont une personne se definit elle-meme et la notion meme de citoyennete canadienne. II aborde la question de I'heterogeneite des groupes minoritaires et celle de 1'irnportance du choix des termes duns le processus de definition de l'identite. A la Iuiniere de ses experiences professionnelles et personnelles dons le domaine de 1'equite, 1'auteur en arrive a conclude qu'il faut repenser et faire mieux comprendre le concept de " I ' inclusivite" si on veut creer une vision uniforme et harmonieuse de la citoyennete. II insiste sur le role de 1'education et explique comment une education antiraciste davantage axee sur l'integration peut repondre aux preoccupations fondamentales des groupes et des individus marginalises. Enfin, I'auteur presente une breve analyse de la discrimination institutionnelle, en mettant l'accent sur la necessite d'examiner le concept de citoyennete avec une approche critique. INTRODUCTION The concept of citizenship is the subject of much dis- cussion in government, learned conferences, in edu- cation, and at the community level. The national Canadian obsession to develop a shared vision and promote unity has consumed much energy and resources over the past three decades. Why are Canadians consumed with the issue of identity? How does this pursuit mesh with the objective of creating a respect for, and understanding of, citizenship? In this personal reflection on the notion of Canadian cit- izenship, I would like to contextualize the debate, as much as possible, within the realm of education. The observations contained herein relate to work I under- took in the area of equity in education in the Ontario Ministry of Education and Training l , and are also sig- nificantly shaped by research I conducted for my doc- toral dissertation on anti-racist education. In order to contextualize and link my experiences, and the subsequent analysis of them, I will conclude with some comments on the need for inclusive, anti-racist education, which may help facilitate a further reflec- tion on the concept of citizenship in education. CONTEXTUALIZING IDENTITY Like anyone else, I have had experiences which have shaped who I am. Simultaneously, these experiences may have been shaped by who I am. I cannot escape the fact that I am an able-bodied, middle-class. White male of European origin, whose first language is English. I do not normally define myself in these terms, but the more I grapple with the issue of identi- ty, the more I feel it necessary to situate, or locate, one's identity (Lee, 1985: McCarthy and Crichlow, 1993; James and Shadd, 1995). This brief description of myself does not inform the reader of other key influences on my identity: my interests, areas of study, time spent abroad, family experience, the role played by my daughters in my life, friendships, my political ideology, etc.. The description, however, does acknowledge the status or level of privilege that I have been accorded by society (Dei, 1996; McIntosh, 1990; Sleeter, 1994). While citizenship is considered a birthright by some, many Canadians have come to learn that the right to vote, to work unencumbered by harassment or dis- crimination, and, theoretically at least, to be protect- ed from discrimination in society, does not always lead to the enjoyment of full citizenship. I would like to advance the debate past the obvious tell-tale signs of exclusion that are obvious in the mainstream media. The media abound with stereotypical repre- sentations of racial minority Canadians, as it does for Aboriginal peoples, and many others. This is achieved through marginalization, trivialization, tokenism. inaccuracy, isolation or omission, all equal- ly powerful in reinforcing the bias that certain people are more "equal" than others. While Canada, undoubtedly, has its merits, and has garnered an international reputation in the area of human rights, I would like to argue that the voices of women who have been sexually violated, or racial minorities, people with disabilities, or aboriginal peoples, who have faced serious and constant systemic and individual discrimination in education, housing and employment, etc., and others who have been marginalized, must also be heard. Francophones also seek a collective space within the Canadian nation. After discussing the complexity of identity formation, I wish to present some thoughts on the merits of an inclusive approach to education in relation to citizenship. Much of my theoretical understanding for this proposed inclusive education framework is grounded in critical work undertaken in relation to anti-racist education (see, in particular, Dei, 1993; 1994; 1996; Dei et al., 1995). PERSONAL REFLECTIONS ON IDENTITY Working on anti-racism and equity initiatives from 1994 to 1996 in government within the context of minority French language education, I was exposed to an intricate web of competing visions. The