Youth, Diversity and Social Development in the Multicultural Metropolis, a joint York University – Chinese Academy of Social Sciences workshop, will juxtapose Canadian and Chinese research and thereby develop some comparative insights into our respective ways of defining problems, posing questions and conducting research into questions of youth, diversity and social development in urban settings.

The workshop, organized by the York Centre for Asian Research, will be held at York on 27-28 May 2015,

Access the programme here.

Cities are sites of intense social, economic and cultural change, and young people are at the forefront of these transformations. This workshop addresses some of these processes through the juxtaposition of Canadian and Chinese contexts.

Some of the same challenges exist in both countries, from maintaining a sense of social belonging in rapidly changing times, to accommodating various forms of diversity, to shaping educational and labour market institutions in ways that allow social mobility, inclusivity and equality. At the same time, there are clearly profound differences, including economic and political systems, forms of social diversity, demographic structures and scale.

There are also differences in how social scientists in Canada and China have sought to conceptualize and study these common challenges in their respective contexts. These including diverse theoretical frameworks, different methodological approaches, and distinct ways of integrating researchers, research subjects, community organizations and government policy makers into the research process.

While the papers presented in the workshop focus on either Chinese or Canadian contexts, the final panel will reflect on frameworks for conducting research on the connections between China and Canada in various spheres.

The workshop is generously supported by the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, the Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation, York International, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and YCAR.

All are welcome!

For more information: ycar@yorku.ca.