Canadian Society in the Twenty-First Century, Fourth Edition

Book excerpt: Confederation may have established Canada’s nationhood in 1867, but the relationships framing Canada’s modern existence go back much further. Employing a unique socio-historical perspective, Canadian Society in the Twenty-First Century examines three formative relationships that have shaped the country: Canada and Quebec, Canada and the United States, and Canada and Indigenous nations. Now in its fourth edition, this engaging text offers students an overview of Canadian society through a series of connections rather than a collection of statistics. Trevor W. Harrison and John W. Friesen weave together complex aspects of the nation’s economic, political, and socio-cultural development. They guide readers to use this interdisciplinary framework to consider some of the tough questions that Canada is likely to face in adjusting to demands and challenges in the next few decades. Reflecting the most current scholarship in the field, this revised edition features new discussions on issues such as the current crisis of neo-liberal globalization, Canada’s petroleum industry, global warming, the Wet’suwet’en dispute in 2020, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Exploring the unique character of Canada today, this text is a vibrant resource for sociology courses on Canadian society as well as courses in Canadian studies and Canadian history.