Immigration policy, public libraries and the social practice of exclusion in Canada

Abstract

Canada's immigration policies have historically constituted a social practice of exclusion that privileges the hegemonic project of one social identity over that of another, namely the capitalist state over other social relations in society. Using critical discourse analysis, this doctoral dissertation project examines the ways in which the state's constitution of immigrant communities and their relationships with state institutions, such as the public library, represents one site where such hegemonic struggles unfold. This research addresses the question: As an institute of the state and product of public policy, what role has the public library played in constituting immigrants to Canada and in what ways have these practices contributed to the inclusion or exclusion of immigrants in Canadian society?