Exploring social engineering through legislation that requires individuals and institutions to display what it believes are the collective’s desired values by defining and outlawing what is undesirable with the goal of producing uniformity in the public service, and by extension, in the general population
The proliferation of populist rhetoric in Quebec’s public sphere along with the introduction of Bill 21, and public discourse around strengthening existing language legislation (Bill 101) has resulted in the emergence of two distinct points of view currently being expressed in public debate. One expression is that the most fundamental of our values must be to support and encourage the rights and freedoms of all citizens. The role of government is to protect and defend these rights, and as such it must put into place policies and procedures that encourage inclusion and integration of all groups into Quebec society. On the other side of this debate is the view that the government must engage in a form of social engineering through legislation that requires individuals and institutions to display what it believes are the collective’s desired values by defining and outlawing what is undesirable with the goal of producing uniformity in the public service, and by extension, in the general population. Using content analysis of legislation and the two sides of the debate found in traditional and social media, this paper will examine recently proposed and adopted legislation to demonstrate how with such a marked difference in value orientations, this kind of legislation can only further divisions between groups, exacerbate the isolation of minorities, and expose the province to litigation which can serve no useful end.
