Historic diversity and equity policies in Canada

This chapter is a historical policy study that examines a particular moment in the development of the Canadian diversity policy web. Starting from the position that policy is the result of a complex set of interactions among several state and nonstate actors, we use the metaphor of the web to examine the relationship between and among policy statements and actions in a particular field.¹ Policy is thus understood as more than a single authoritative text, and the notion of "policy actors" replaces the traditional term "policy makers" as we examine the roles of multiple players in the field. We are interested in understanding the complexity that lies behind the creation and ongoing re-creation of official policies. We believe that at its best, policy can be the result of and catalyst to public dialogue about issues that are of central importance to a society. To this end, our work seeks to find ways of making the policy process more open and democratic. Because of our own backgrounds and commitments, we focus particularly on the study of policies addressing diversity and equity. We have found that the 1940s was a pivotal time in the development of diversity and equity policies in Canada. So, as we focus in this volume on transformations in education, it seems most appropriate to concentrate on this period.