Do People in Canada have a Responsibility to Change their Appearance or Mannerisms to Make
Others Feel Less Threatened In Public?
Canada is one of the two nations located in Northern America and currently ranks as the
second-largest country globally. Over the years, the Canadian culture has established the
foundational influence of the British and French as well as the broader European region (Hansen
713). The social and public space also reflects the native aboriginal as well as immigrated
ethnicities.
Every nation has its way of life, and Canadian culture is unique due to the cultural mosaic established by multiculturalism in the country’s ideologies. Canada is famous for bringing different cultures together while allowing diversity in a bid to pass the same social norms through the generations. Canada is a provocative nation, given the diversity of the population and culture, which creates a unique intangible element. However, people still need to adjust to general norms in a bid to present respectfully and peaceful even in cases of racial intricacies.
Interestingly, Canadian culture accommodates a reserved nature that allows them to polite and focus on etiquette. For instance, men have to show respect by standing and greeting women whenever they walk into or out of a room. Notably, throughout Canadian history, their openness to culture diversification has led to an influx of immigrants who have been allowed to maintain their identities and values (Shute 551). Interestingly, children familiarize themselves with multiculturalism faster as they interact in educational settings, among public spaces, which makes the assimilation process fast. However, given the complexity of Canadian identity alongside the intricacies of race and ethnicity, the group herein may face challenges in interpersonal interactions within the social demographic fabric of Canada (Yunliang 7). The culture, therefore, struggles between the conservatism of indigenous people, natives, and the immigrants, which elicits issues of social justice and equity (Hansen 714). Seemingly, as much as Canada’s multicultural society is unique, it creates an impetus for crucial topics.
Despite Canada’s multicultural society, people of color have to watch how they behave and act
since they are victims of systemic racism and also a target for racial profiling and discrimination
by the police. Notably, indigenous people among the blacks and other immigrants are policed and
under surveillance in traumatic and life-threatening ways, not only in public spaces but in schools
among different scholarly environments. Notably, defending oneself from these malpractices can
perceive as resistance, which usually directs the police and security guards to label the victim as
a threat. For instance, several social media stirs have covered the topic of ‘running while
black’ – where a black man was stopped by the police while running to work (Hayle et al. 325).
The humiliation and embarrassment associated with racial profiling lead to an intensified daily
procedural lifestyle of systemic racism that attempts to dictate and incarcerate the public spaces
and places (Hayle et al. 332). Notably, due to the growing fact that racism exists in Canada, people
of color have to adjust their behaviors in a bid to maintain personal and national security.
Beliefs, myths, histories, and ideologies, as well as traditions, bind individuals together by
forming a social fabric that defines shared purposes and concepts. The practices herein describe a
culture that a given society embraces or identifies. However, in multicultural nations, the struggle
to stop the issues of racism and counter disempowerment often fail due to the foundation of the
democratic culture on social diversity. Notably, the differences herein are usually founded on
theories of identity ad representations. For the black community, there was “a lethality
pedestrian attributed” to them, according to Brent Staples (153). Consequently, people would
avoid contact with them because of the race and related issues of gang violence or warfare in
countries of origin or neighborhoods. As a black, one had to adjust behavior in public, for
instance, ignoring nervous people in the streets and walking by with care not to perceive as
threatening. Therefore, lack of proper etiquette can lead to discrimination or police arrests for
being at the “wrong place at the wrong time.” (White 237) Seemingly, cultural
differences may cause societal problems that disparately affect a specific race.
Canada is an exciting nation due to the multiculturalism exhibited in its society. Still, people unfamiliar to the way of life need to adjust to individual establishments not to pose a threat to the administration or social fabric. Given Canada’s history, many people have managed to find a home or education, among other services and provisions offered in Canada. However, crucial issues arise when dealing with people of color who find it challenging to identify with familiar places, balance their traditional heritage as well as history while at the same time incorporating into a multicultural society. The social fabric predispositions this category to discrimination and harassment based on identifying or representing a threat. Consequently, innocent people undergo random police checks, arrests, or reports by random strangers who perceive black as a threat. Ideally, the real victims of this situation have to adjust and take extra care not to infringe on the privacy and security of people in public spaces or else subject to profiling or unlawful acts in a bid to maintain social order.
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