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ABSTRACT/RÉSUMÉ
Popular and academic discourses perceive Quebec's approach to pluralism, called interculturalism, as being very different from Canada's multiculturalism. Multiculturalism is seen as fragmenting; interculturalism as dialogical and unifying. Yet the hallmark policies of both governments are, in fact, very similar in their approach to cultural pluralism. In policy terms, interculturalism and multiculturalism strike a similar balance between individual rights, the accommodation of cultural difference, and the promotion of social cohesion. Why, then, is there this divergence between perception and policy? Unpacking both, this paper fosters a more accurate understanding of the terms of the multiculturalism/ interculturalism debate. It argues that in this case, demographic and historical contexts as well as national mythologizing are more important in explaining popular and academic discourse than substantive policy differences.
Selon les discours populaire et universitaire, l'approche du Québec en matière de pluralisme, appelée interculturalisme, diffère grandement du multiculturalisme canadien. Le multiculturalisme est perçu comme une politique de fragmentation, et à interculturalisme comme une politique dialogique et unificatrice. Pourtant, en réalité, les politiques propres à chacun de ces gouvernements en ce qui a trait au pluralisme culturel se ressemblent beaucoup. Les politiques en matière d'interculturalisme et de multiculturalisme concilient de façon semblable les droits individuels, l'acclimatation des différences culturelles et la valorisation d'une cohésion sociale. Alors pourquoi cette divergence entre la perception et la politique? Grâce à l'examen de ces deux politiques, l'article vise à mieux faire comprendre les fondements du débat entre le multiculturalisme et Finterculturalisme. L'auteure allègue que dans ce cas précis, pour expliquer les discours populaire et universitaire, il est préférable d'étudier le contexte démographique et historique, ainsi que la fabrication de mythes nationaux, plutôt que la différence fondamentale entre les politiques.
INTRODUCTION
Canada has multiculturalism; Quebec, interculturalism. Exploring the differences between the two with a friend from Trois-Rivières, wandering down an eclectic Montreal street, weaving in and out of French and English, he turned to me to talk closely, "This is interculturalism. C'est l'échange." "Multiculturalism is more like this," he said and, although still at my side, he turned to face away from me. "It's implicit in the words."
As my friend suggested, lexicology helps us understand differences between the two labels: "inter," means "between, among, amid" (OED [Oxford English Dictionary] 1989, vol. VII,...