What Role do Ethnic Enclaves Play in Municipal Agenda Setting: An Exploratory Case Study Analysis of Indo-Canadian and Indigenous Communities in Abbotsford, B.C. and Saskatoon Saskatchewan

Abstract

The pluralistic or competitive nature of policy problem definition in Canada involves the power to frame the problem and gain the attention of the public, resulting in setting government’s agenda. The collective action problem takes on an alternate meaning when looking through the lens of a Canadian multicultural policy. This thesis identifies where an ethnic enclave’s interests are highlighted at the municipal level. Using communication infrastructure theory as a guide, the conceptual framework elements examine the determinants that constrain municipal agenda setting, the necessary conditions that facilitate it, and the community structures of policy networks that shape municipal agendas. I collected data by interviewing community participants in two Canadian cities, Saskatoon Saskatchewan, and Abbotsford British Columbia. Analysis in the interview process went through two levels of coding using NVIVO. The results show that agenda setting occurs both through formal and informal channels that revolve around prior relationships. This thesis primarily addresses issues of interest to public policy analysts and those in bureaucracy charged with developing services and programs at the municipal level.