Some Reflections on the Evolution of Canada's Political Economy
and its Implications on its Families and Communities
Publisher: The Vanier Institute of the Family/L'Institute Vanier de la Famille, Ottawa, Canada
Year Published: 1979
Pages: 2pp Price: 1.50 Resource Type: Article
Cx Number: CX885
This position statement by the Vanier Institute is originally published in the January 1979 issue of their newsletter Transition.
Abstract:
This position statement by the Vanier Institute is originally published in the January 1979 issue of their newsletter Transition. It advocates a "Familial Society": they believe that "household and community sectors are part of the whole economy - and they are the foundation upon which the formal economic superstructure rests". The Institute rejects the notion that the family alone can spearhead social change as simplistic but also rejects the notion that large-scale social change can occur without taking into account the role of the people, their families and their communities. They echo a widespread dissatisfaction with the over-developed, unresponsive institutions (Government, Business, Labour, Media) as major contributors to a variety of social ills. They believe the dissatisfaction represents a questioning of the assumption that increased production contributes to the betterment of Canadians as a people. The statement insists that our political economy is undergoing a fundamental shift and people are beginning to wonder if their real interests are being voiced and articulated in the official centres of power. For the Institute this is an example of a "participatory impulse" leading to increased "voluntarism" and "citizen action". They point out that, official statements to the contrary, the present debate over constitutional proposals has not focused on "the preeminence of citizens over institutions".
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