Reflections on Canadian Character: From Monarch Park to Monarch Mountain

Jeff Karabanow is an assistant professor in the Maritime School of
Social Work at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

Reflections on Canadian Character is a compelling exploration of the
subtle and not-so-subtle philosophical shifts and operational changes to
our social welfare state in the last 100 years. The author argues for a
return to the idyllic “gemeinshaft” (community-oriented) way of
helping one another as a basis of societal responsibility (i.e., mutual
aid and self-help). Through anecdotal and personal stories, Couchman
reveals a number of instrumental flaws plaguing our overly formalized
and professionalized welfare system, our arrogant and territorial
academic institutions, and our growing overreliance on societal rights.

According to Couchman, national character is one of the most pivotal
factors shaping our social programs. The roots of the national safety
net (i.e., medicare, family allowance, and employment insurance) were
formed from a Depression-era collective, social-solidarity mindset. The
current welfare system is a bloated and inefficient structure that is
highly resistant to change or innovation. The author is not arguing here
for the dismantling of our safety net, but simply for a reorganization
that can reflect innovative, thoughtful initiatives geared to efficacy
in outcomes rather than efficiency in budgeting.

Couchman’s main argument is that Canadians have moved away from a
sense of reciprocal obligation, valuing notions of individual
entitlement at the expense of collective responsibility. Universality
has shown itself a more meaningful concept in theory than in practice,
as evidenced by the growing ranks of poor, homeless, and marginalized
groups throughout Canada. While there is much truth in this position,
Couchman fails to acknowledge that most Canadians support a strong
government presence (generally equated to funding practices vis-а-vis
social service delivery) as the primary way of securing a reasonable
quality of life for the less fortunate. In short, most Canadians want
their official representatives to do more, not less, for disadvantaged
people.