Immigration Policy, Public Libraries and the Social Practice of Exclusion in Canada

摘要

Canada’s immigration policies have historically constituteda social practice of exclusion that privileges the hegemonicproject of one social identity over that of another, namelythe capitalist state over other social relations in society.Using critical discourse analysis, this doctoral dissertationproject examines the ways in which the state’s constitutionof immigrant communities and their relationships with stateinstitutions, such as the public library, represents one sitewhere such hegemonic struggles unfold. This researchaddresses the question: As an institute of the state andproduct of public policy, what role has the public libraryplayed in constituting immigrants to Canada and in whatways have these practices contributed to the inclusion orexclusion of immigrants in Canadian society?