Canadian Citizenship, Identity and Belonging
“Statues of Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II torn down in Canada” (BBC, July 2, 2021)
“Done with Dundas: Toronto to remove racist figure’s name from streets, infrastructure” (Global News, July 15, 2021)
“Reports of Anti-Asian hate crimes are surging in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic,” (CTV News, March 20, 2021)
The news stories above illustrate some significant contemporary issues in Canada, which can be linked together as challenges to traditional conceptions of Canadian identity and citizenship, whose roots are historical and linked to Citizenship Education. Canadian national identity and citizenship has been subject to discussion since Canada was founded as a collection of European colonies on lands that were, and continue to be, home to rich Indigenous cultures across diverse terrains.
Dr. Catherine Broom, associate professor, is concluding a five-year SSHRC funded research project that invited Canadians across Canada to share their views of Canadian citizenship and identity and Citizenship Education.
From December 2022 until August 2024, participants from diverse backgrounds across Canada filled out an online survey that explored how they understood Canadian citizenship and identity, their views, experiences and hopes for Citizenship Education and their beliefs about what kind of society they would like Canada to aim towards.
The findings are being shared on the study’s website (citizenshipeducation.ok.ubc.ca) and serve as a starting point for the development of papers and teaching resources on the meaning of citizenship and identity in Canada today. Resources, materials, and workshops will be made available to teachers across the country through the website.