Papers by Marguerite Cassin
Dr. Cassin is a specialist in public sector management with interests in gender relations and car... more Dr. Cassin is a specialist in public sector management with interests in gender relations and career advancement. She has authored reports for governments, commissions and task forces on these and other matters as well as contributed to the scholarly literature on these topics.
McGill-Queen's University Press eBooks, 1992
The thesis is concerned to explicate the social organization of ethnicity and ethnic relations in... more The thesis is concerned to explicate the social organization of ethnicity and ethnic relations in the Canadian setting. The work is developed from an ethnography of the East Indian 'community'•in Vancouver, Bri t i sh Columbia and from other theoretical work done on ethnicity. The argument which is presented is that ethnic relations are special -forms of class relations, which are mediated by the social ly organized practices of the social institutions of the society. The method of work proceeds in two ways. In the f i r s t place I begin from the categories and concepts present in the theoretical l i terature and return those to the social relations which they name; which are actual act iv i t ies of individuals. In the second, I articulate on the basis of the actual act iv i t ies of individuals who are part of and related to the social organization of a particular ethnic community, how the social organization of that ethnic community arises and is maintained. The f i r s ...
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 2014
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 2014
Canadian Journal of Political Science, 1989
This book is a welcome addition to the growing body of work on public administration and politics... more This book is a welcome addition to the growing body of work on public administration and politics in Canada. It explores public budgeting, which is surely the most technical and inherently political aspect of governing. While undeniably relevant to everyday life, aspects of public budgeting render it inaccessible and uninteresting to all but a small group of highly specialized practitioners and scholars. This collaborative effort by three leading scholars in the field of Canadian public administration is successful in making the topic both more accessible and more interesting. Indeed, public budgeting is displayed as critical to a grasp of Canadian social realities. The approach is interdisciplinary. The discussion begins by recognizing the centrality of budgets to the character of social life and by identifying their political, economic and managerial dimensions. In doing so, the topic is ordered in relation to both theory and practice. Canadian public budgeting is set in a comparative, institutional and taxation context. The account of these complex settings gives access to the central (primarily orthodox) ideas, debates and practices around the topic. In rendering this account, the book avoids specious simplification, itself an artful accomplishment. A consideration of budgeting perspectives offers an insightful and literate review of approaches to the study and concepts of budgeting from the disciplines of political science, economics, public administration and management. The concepts are carefully discussed, but their practical forms are given less attention. Policy discussions of social problems, economic and regional development, defence, external affairs and aid, government operations, and services to government-all raise topical issues and offer interesting case materials. The book concludes by proposing a topology of mezzo budgeting (the domain between macro and micro budget considerations) and an identification of continuing controversies in the field. The originality of the book lies more in its approach to the topic rather than in its ideas. The experiences and backgrounds of the authors are evident in the scope and depth of the material which is carefully chosen for current interest. The book is indeed a text in the best sense of the term. It is a primer in public budgeting, a topic which has previously only been accessible through a review of specialized literature in economics, political science, public administration and management. The authors have produced a significant achievement by relating successfully the practice and general social consequences of budgeting.
British Journal of Canadian Studies, 2006
In a world made small by technology, science, politics and human migration, and in which differen... more In a world made small by technology, science, politics and human migration, and in which differences among people are accentuated, human rights are an increasingly important part of creating harmony and practising democracy. It is not surprising then that human rights are receiving increased attention in politics, the economy and civil society internationally. Canada is a 'cobbled-together country' composed of indigenous peoples and subsequent waves of immigrants. Most immigrants to Canada were marginalised by poverty and prejudice in their own lands. They came to Canada (often involuntarily) to seek a better life. One result of the composition of Canada is that we cannot assume our national identity; it must be made together. We can see in both our politics and our literature an ongoing interest in discovering and creating who we are as a nation and people.1 Another feature of the cobbled-together character of Canada is ongoing concern for social cohesion. We have important differences among us and those differences include those we are creating through culture, politics, education, economics and orientation to identity. Notwithstanding Canada's high ranking on the United Nations Human Development Index, we have challenging inequalities that are measured by health status, (dis)ability, distribution of income and wealth, education, group identity and citizenship and culture. We need to be equality-seeking not only because it is right, but because we need equality to live and work together cohesively as a people and country.2 In Canada, human rights have been and continue to be an important dimension of seeking and defining equality and aspirations for equality (Ignatieff 2000: 12). The point of human rights is to assure that all people are treated as individuals within society. Through human rights legislation, Canada at the federal level and the individual provinces protect rights in areas that include religious belief, political affiliation, race, gender, ability and origin. While it is important that we have legislation and policy that seek equality, in the end equality is an experienced reality that must exist 'on the street' and in our ordinary lives. It needs to be present in the ordinary dimensions of what we think of as culture. Equality must be part of the culture. This article explores the links and tension between official mandates and everyday realities in identity and social cohesion through an exploration of the role of human rights as they contribute to the everyday lives of people in Nova Scotia. It considers how human rights, and in particular the work of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission (NSHRC), contributes to community, workplace/economy and governance.3 It seeks to show that human rights are for all of us - they benefit everyone - and that the NSHRC is a cultural and democratic asset because of the contribution it makes to the community, workplace and governance and thus the quality of life in Nova Scotia. Human Rights, Democracy and Participation Human rights are based in the idea that all human beings are equal as people. All people have the right to participate as individuals in civil society, politics and the economy. In Canada, human rights law and Human Rights Commissions at both provincial and federal levels assure the protection of the rights of individuals against discrimination.4 In practical terms liberal democracies are generally defined by the rule of law, representative electoral institutions, governing institutions, defined separations and inclusion of citizens as individuals with entitlements. However established in law and institution, democracy in practice is a living set of relationships with shifting emphases, expectations and commitments. Politicians, public servants, business people and citizens can all see and contribute to changes in democracy as it is practised. Democracy in Canada is and has been expanding.5 Currently we can see politics and governance responding to heightened expectations of increased citizen participation beyond voting, expanded consultation with groups, communities, organisations and sectors, expectation of the inclusion of many voices in decisions, programmes and results and the movement for reform of the public sector expressed in new forms of transparency, accountability and integrity. …
British Journal of Canadian Studies, 2012
As the community economic development landscape has changed, so too has its governance. Specifica... more As the community economic development landscape has changed, so too has its governance. Specifically, local actors and communities are increasingly expected to be the major impetus for development. If development approaches are going to entail community-driven, bottom-up approaches, then we need to understand this landscape and how it works; understanding community capacity is critical. We need to ask: how are development ideas coming to the fore; who is involved; what do these relationships look like; where does the capacity lie; what is the impact; and how can such approaches be better structured and supported? Our research aims to answer these questions, and understand and describe the shifting landscape of governance and development at a
community level. To do so, we focus on four rural communities—one in each Atlantic province—as well as undertake a review of comparative practices (namely, the national policy of rurality in Quebec and the European Union’s LEADER Programme).
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Papers by Marguerite Cassin
community level. To do so, we focus on four rural communities—one in each Atlantic province—as well as undertake a review of comparative practices (namely, the national policy of rurality in Quebec and the European Union’s LEADER Programme).
community level. To do so, we focus on four rural communities—one in each Atlantic province—as well as undertake a review of comparative practices (namely, the national policy of rurality in Quebec and the European Union’s LEADER Programme).