 | |
| Support for democratic issues[1] | |
|---|---|
| Human rights | 89% |
| Gender equality | 81% |
| Respect for the law | 80% |
| Indigenous respect | 68% |
| Diversity | 67% |
| Bilingualism | 55% |
| Support for social issues[2] | |
| Euthanasia rights | 80% |
| LGBTQ acceptance | 70% |
| Multiculturalism policy | 68% |
| Secular society | 60% |
| Religious symbols at work | 58% |
| Support for divisive issues[2] | |
| Free market economy | 52% |
| Unrestricted abortion rights | 51% |
| Civil liberties over security | 51% |
| Trust in media | 51% |
Canadian values are the perceived commonly shared ethical and human values of Canadians.[3] Canadians generally exhibit pride in equality before the law, fairness, social justice, freedom, and respect for others;[4] while often making personal decisions based on self interests rather than a collective Canadian identity.[5] Tolerance and sensitivity hold significant importance in Canada's multicultural society, as does politeness.[5][6] A vast majority of Canadians shared the values of human rights, respect for the law and gender equality.[7][6] Historian Ian MacKay associates Canadian values with egalitarianism, equalitarianism and peacefulness.[8]
Canadians typically tend to embrace liberal views on social and political issues.[9][10] In Canada the idea of a "just society" is constitutionally protected,[11] with government policies—such as publicly funded health care; higher and more progressive taxation; outlawing capital punishment; strong efforts to eliminate poverty; an emphasis on cultural diversity; the legalization of same-sex marriage, pregnancy terminations, and euthanasia—being social indicators of the country's political and cultural values.[12][13][14]
Numerous scholars have tried to identify, measure and compare Canadian values with other countries, especially the United States.[15][16] However, there are critics who say that such a task is practically impossible.[17] Political scientist Denis Stairs connects values with Canadian nationalism, noting Canadians feel they hold special, virtuous values.[18] Canadians express pridefulness with the country's institutions of health care, military peacekeeping, the national park system and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.[19][4]
Despite Canadians progressive views, ongoing societal challenges exist, including what has variously been described as neglect, indifference and human rights violations of marginalized groups; such as the treatment of Indigenous peoples, profiling of visible minority, poverty faced by those with disabilities, concerns with the treatment of migrants and refugees and the freedom of religion and language expression in Quebec society.[20][21][22]
- ^ "Agreement with social and democratic values in Canada". Statistics Canada. 2023-05-30. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
w059was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Douglas Baer, Edward Grabb, and William Johnston, "National character, regional culture, and the values of Canadians and Americans." Canadian Review of Sociology/Revue canadienne de sociologie 30.1 (1993): 13-36.
- ^ a b "Exploring Canadian values" (PDF). nanosresearch.com. Values Survey Summary - Survey by Nanos Research, October 2016. July 28, 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 5, 2017. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
- ^ a b "Understanding Canadians". Simon Fraser University. Retrieved 2025-01-19.
- ^ a b "2016-10-24 Exploring Canadian values – Nanos Research". Nanos Research. 2016-10-24. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
- ^ "Perceptions of shared values in Canadian society among the immigrant population". Statistics Canada. 2023-01-16. Retrieved 2025-01-19.
- ^ McKay, Ian (2005). Rebels, Reds, Radicals: Rethinking Canada's Left History. Between The Lines. p. 181. ISBN 978-1-896357-97-3.
- ^ Westhues, Anne; Wharf, Brian (2014). Canadian Social Policy: Issues and Perspectives. Wilfrid Laurier University Press. pp. 10–11. ISBN 978-1-55458-409-3.
- ^ Bickerton, James; Gagnon, Alain (2009). Canadian Politics. University of Toronto Press. p. 56. ISBN 978-1-4426-0121-5.
- ^ LaSelva, S.V. (1996). The Moral Foundations of Canadian Federalism: Paradoxes, Achievements, and Tragedies of Nationhood. McGill-Queen's University Press. p. 86. ISBN 978-0-7735-1422-5.
- ^ Hollifield, James; Martin, Philip L.; Orrenius, Pia (2014). Controlling Immigration: A Global Perspective, Third Edition. Stanford University Press. p. 103. ISBN 978-0-8047-8735-2.
- ^ Bricker, Darrell; Wright, John; Ipsos-Reid (Firm) (2005). What Canadians think- about almost- everything. Doubleday Canada. pp. 8–20. ISBN 978-0-385-65985-7.
- ^ "Examples of Charter-related cases - Canada's System of Justice". Department of Justice - Government of Canada. 2018.
- ^ Doug Baer, et al. "The values of Canadians and Americans: A critical analysis and reassessment Archived May 22, 2019, at the Wayback Machine". Social Forces 68.3 (1990): 693–713.
- ^ Seymour Martin Lipset (1991). Continental Divide: The Values and Institutions of the United States and Canada. Psychology Press. pp. 42–50. ISBN 978-0-415-90385-1.
- ^ MacDonald, Neil (September 13, 2016). "A very short list of Canadian values: Neil Macdonald". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on December 31, 2016. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
- ^ Stairs, Denis (2003). "Myths, Morals, and Reality in Canadian Foreign Policy". International Journal. 58 (2): 239–256. doi:10.2307/40203840. JSTOR 40203840.
- ^ The Environics Institute (2010). "Focus Canada (Final Report)" (PDF). Queen's University. p. 4 (PDF page 8). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 4, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2015.
- ^ "Canada". United States Department of State. January 3, 2025. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
- ^ "World Report 2024: Rights Trends in Canada". Human Rights Watch. December 14, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
- ^ "Human rights in Canada". Amnesty International. March 29, 2024. Retrieved January 22, 2025.