Thesis Format
Monograph
Degree
Master of Arts
Program
Sociology
Supervisor
Schaffer, Scott
Abstract
This study aims to investigate why contemporary Chinese individuals in Canada continue to be affected by discriminatory practices of the past. Drawing on Michel Foucault’s theoretical work, the following questions are addressed: (1) How did Canadian discipline impact the social construction of the Chinese and what it means to be Chinese?; (2) How did the Chinese become discursively marked as racial subjects?; (3) What are the discourses responsible for the social exclusion of the Chinese in Canada? To answer these questions, this study uses Foucault’s genealogical approach to unearth the discursive practices responsible for legitimizing and normalizing the ‘othering’ of the Chinese. The findings depart from previous studies in that it explores how Canada has come to manage the Chinese, in Canada, by reinforcing and sustaining racial lines.
Summary for Lay Audience
This study aims to investigate why contemporary Chinese individuals in Canada continue to be affected by discriminatory practices of the past. Drawing on Michel Foucault’s theoretical work, the following questions are addressed: (1) How did Canadian discipline impact the social construction of the Chinese and what it means to be Chinese?; (2) How did the Chinese become discursively marked as racial subjects?; (3) What are the discourses responsible for the social exclusion of the Chinese in Canada?
Although Canada is considered to be a multicultural country, racism and discrimination continue to persevere. The results revealed that Canada values those who resemble the White Euro-descent (the colonizers) while those who do not resemble them are considered expendable. The 1885 Chinese Immigration Act and the 1923 Chinese Immigration Act were historically used to devalue the Chinese in Canada by reinforcing racist ideas about the group. By doing so, the Chinese could be exploited, by the Euro-descents, in the interests of bettering the country.
Recommended Citation
Chen, Anna, "The Social Construction of the Chinese by Canada" (2020). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 7575.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/7575