Association for Canadian Studies
The Association for Canadian Studies (ACS) aims to increase Canadians' knowledge of their country and provides platforms for cross-sectoral and multidisciplinary exchanges about the country’s past, present and future.
| Formation | 1973 |
|---|---|
| Type | Non-profit organization |
| Headquarters | Montreal |
| Location |
|
Official language | French and English |
With 20 years of experience conducting social research, the ACS has a long-standing reputation for anticipating where public discourse is heading, and disseminating knowledge that advances public discourse and evidence-based decision-making.
Its main points of action are through events, survey research and publications. Its current president and CEO is Jack Jedwab
History
The Association for Canadian Studies is a non-profit organization, founded at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, in 1973. Its activities are conducted in both official languages of Canada. Through the organization, its individual and institutional members initiate and support research and teaching in Canadian studies, particularly from interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary perspectives. The organizational membership is also concerned with the promotion of Canadian studies generally, as well as the specific training of students in Canadian studies.
Support is also provided through the organization to interdisciplinary exchanges among scholars and leaders in the public and private sectors. In addition, significant public policy and research issues are promoted in the public domain, through conferences, publications and otherwise.[1] During the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization received a $292,690 grant from the Public Health Agency of Canada's Immunization Partnership Fund to promote COVID-19 vaccine confidence in racialized groups and newcomers to Canada.[2]
ACS's work
Events
The Association for Canadian Studies presents many forums, symposiums and conferences every year. ACS hosts events dedicated to the following two general thematic categories:
1) Canadian social studies and history 2) Diversity, multicultural, and multi-linguistic fabric of Canadian society
The virtual or in-person events are either national or international in scope and range from one day webinars, and symposiums to two day forums to 3-5 day conferences.
As part of the “Towards 150: Learning and Teaching Canadian History,” a series of events to encourage young people to learn more about Canada, the Association for Canadian Studies invited students, educators and the general public to attend a special panel discussion and launch of a new ACS publication entitled: A Historical Look at John A. Macdonald ? Seeing Canada’s First Prime Minister in the Context of His and our Times at the Canadian Museum of History, July 6, 2015.
The Annual Forum on Measuring Identities focuses on how academics, policy-makers, civil society and researchers define and measure inclusion and look at promising practices in establishing societal inclusion. The forum offers a platform to reflect upon new and innovative models for inclusive societies. Most recently, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Canadian Multiculturalism Act, ACS hosted a national forum entitled Multiculturalism@50 that brought together leading thinkers from Canada and abroad to assess the state of multiculturalism domestically and in other immigrant receiving/pluralist countries
Survey Research
ACS has an established reputation for conducting social research, anticipating where public discourse is heading, and disseminating knowledge that advances public discourse and evidence-based decision-making. Relying on its longstanding expertise in the collection of public opinion data and demographic analysis, the ACS regularly keeps track of Canadian trends, attitudes and realities. Studies touch on Canadians’ multiple identities, their sense of belonging, support for language duality and views around various facets of diversity, equality and inclusion.
Its latest survey research focuses on “Gender differences in opinion around gender inequality in Canada” and “Canadians on their Finances and Remote Work”.
Publications
ACS has two flagship publications that are integral to its knowledge transfer mandate. The Canadian Issues magazine showcases academic work in the form of short essays designed to expand Canadians’ knowledge about their country. A second publication, Canadian Diversity, introduced in 2000, focuses on the challenges confronting Canada and other countries arising from migration and rapid demographic change.
A third publication - The Metropolis eBook - highlights a selection of the cutting-edge cross-sectoral presentations in the immigration field intended for the annual Metropolis Canada Conferences.
Its latest publications are “Who Are We?” (March 2023) and “The History of Refugees in Canada From Past to Present” (October 2022).