The Vertical Mosaic Revisited

When The Vertical Mosaic first appeared in 1965, it became an instant classic. Its key message was that Canada was not the classless democracy it fancied itself to be. In fact, Canada was a highly inegalitarian society comprising a vertical mosaic of distinct classes and ethnic groups. This collection of papers by five of Canadas top sociologists subjects John Porters landmark study to renewed scrutiny and traces the dramatic changes since Porters time both in Canadian society and in the agenda of Canadian sociology. Based on papers written for a conference held in commemoration of the thirtieth anniversary of The Vertical Mosaics publication, the five essays revisit the central themes of the original work, including gender and race inequality; citizenship and social justice; and class, power, and ethnicity from the viewpoint of political economy. An introduction by the editors provides a historical biography of Porter and discusses his influence on Canadian sociology.