Chinese Medicine sans Chinese: The Unequal Impacts of Canada's “Multiculturalism within a Bilingual Framework”

Abstract

This work presents a critical analysis of the unequal consequences that may arise in a multiculturalist state when language is conceptually divorced from the human rights protections afforded to ethnicity and national origin. Drawing on the results of twenty‐three qualitative interviews and a review of publicly available documents, our interpretive policy analysis examines the rationale, process, and impacts surrounding the controversial linguistic communication and policy approach taken by a regulatory body governing practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine in Canada's multiethnic province of Ontario within an English–French bilingual policy environment. Our findings suggest a conceptual foundation for more equitable policy making based on principles of demographics and demand in jurisdictions concurrently characterized by state multiculturalism policies, significant ethnocultural pluralism, and a commitment to the principle of substantive equality.

Beyond Professional Licensure: A Statement of Principle on Culturally-Responsive Healthcare

“…Innovative policy strategies may have the potential to reduce some of the inequitable outcomes associated with health professional licensure. 9 However, some of the central features of contemporary professionalization structures—such as occupational standardization and the formal institutionalization of training—have inherent limitations that make them unsuitable for some approaches to healthcare practice. 3 Although health professional licensure has become the norm in many places worldwide, it is not always the most appropriate way of identifying skilled—and culturally-responsive–healthcare practitioners.…”

“…Gendered power differentials remain between licensed professionals (eg, medical doctors vs. nurses, 6 obstetricians vs. midwives 7 ). There are also many examples of licensure being unjustly used to exclude qualified and experienced ethnic minority practitioners who deliver skilled, culturally-responsive care within marginalized communities (eg, immigrant and African-American midwives, 8 Chinese medicine practitioners with limited English proficiency 9 ).…”

A mixed-methods survey of physiotherapists who practice acupuncture and dry needling in Ontario, Canada: practice characteristics, motivations, and professional outcomes

“…Some survey items were adapted from those used by our team in a previous set of surveys of Ontario complementary medicine professions conducted in 2011-2012 [39]. Other items were informed by analyses of interviews with Ontario acupuncture practitioners and educators from across several professions, previously conducted by the first author [7,40]. Survey questions were pre-tested with 14 registered members from across the aforementioned professions, including two licensed PTs.…”