Addressing multiculturalism in the Newfoundland and Labrador multiculturalism policy and in the everyday lives of Muslims in St. John's, NL

Williams, Jennifer (2015) Addressing multiculturalism in the Newfoundland and Labrador multiculturalism policy and in the everyday lives of Muslims in St. John's, NL. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

Since 2005, the government of Newfoundland and Labrador has developed a number of initiatives and social policies to increase immigration and improve immigrant retention. At the same time, minority religious groups have grown, slightly increasing the province's religious diversity. This thesis examines the 2008 provincial Multiculturalism Policy alongside the experiences of Muslims living in St. John's to consider how multiculturalism is lived within this particular context. Interviews with Muslims living in St. John's capture experiences of multiculturalism outside of the context of government policies and services. More concretely, the thesis focuses on the challenges faced by Muslim participants in requesting religious holidays off from work. I conclude that, although the existing provincial multiculturalism policy facilitates certain services and programs, comprehensive issues like equal access to time off from work and school to celebrate religious holidays could be better addressed. One step in this direction is a broader definition of multiculturalism in the policy that might better define secularism and more concretely address participants' challenges and concerns with religious equality.

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