The Vertical Mosaic revisited: Toward a macro-sociology of Canada1

The Vertical Mosaic revisited: toward a macrosociology of Canada 1 HARVEY RICH INTRODUCTION We are at the end of a decade since publication of John Porter's magnum opus, The Vertical Mosaic: An Analysis of Class and Power in Canada (1965). It is important to bear in mind two factors in trying to understand the reception the book received, one concerning the state of the discipline of sociology in Canada at the time, the second concerning the ideological climate prevailing, particularly among middle-class, well-educated Canadians. One index of the state of the discipline in Canada at the time is to bear in mind that only one PhD in sociology was awarded at a Canadian university in the seven-year period from 1957 to 1964.2 While other books had left their mark, this was the first attempt by a sociologist to deal comprehensively with Canada. It was a bo·ld venture ·into what has come to be known as macro-sociology. It was certainly the first book on Canada by a sociologist to gain the attention not only of fellow sociologists in Canada, but also of social scientists internationally. The recognition by the American Sociological Association , giving Porter the Maciver Award in 1966 for the outstanding contribution to the field in the preceding two years, a very prestigious award, was a landmark for sociologists engaged in Canadian studies and for the development of the discipline as a whole in Canada. Furthermore, it was also the first work on Canada by a sociologist to receive wide-spread attention outside academic circles. Time magazine ran a lengthy article on the book,3 Canada's leading newspapers reported it in detail, Porter was interviewed on CBC and in an article on the book in Maclean's magazine, which also ran a 14 lead editorial when the book first appeared.4 Politicians showed keen interest. T. C. Douglas, then leader of the New Democratic Party, wrote a review of the book for the Toronto Globe and Mail,5 the closest to a national newspaper that we have in Canada. With regard to the ideological climate, the book appeared at a time when the rediscovery of poverty in the United States at the beginning of the 1960's had already percolated up to Canada. Sometimes, rather drastic and swift changes take place with regard to the attention given to particular social issues. This is not necessarily closely related to significant changes in the rise or decline , empirically speaking, of the social phenomena in question. There is no reason to believe, for example, that poverty or barriers to equality of educational opportunity were at higher levels in the 60's comp·ared to the 50's; on the contrary, there are grounds for believing that the opposite was true. Yet the 1950'-s were, by and large, with a few exceptions , years of optimism if not unrestrained celebration of the belief that the trend toward a higher standard of living for all, upward mobility opportun'ities for a continually rising proportion of the population through changes in the occupational structure, and an increase in educational opportunities would continue indefinitely in the industrially advanced societies in the western world.6 Porter reached very pessimistic conclusions for Canada with regard to inequalities in income distribution and education as well as ethnic or class-based barriers (often the two were combined) into the higher occupations , becoming most marked in the case of elite recruitment. This was all very eagerly received, not only by academics covering a wide span on the ·ideological spectrum, but also enthusiastically consumed by those in the community who pride themselves on being au courant, sensitive to social injustices , and sufficiently intelligent and educated to understand complex sociolog·icallygrounded arguments. Revue d'etudes canadiennes Until recently, The Vertical Mosaic has enjoyed a spectacularly successful career. Almost everyone doing research in areas in some way related to themes taken up in The Vertical Mosaic has cited it as the authoritative reference. This would include social stratification, ethnic relations, sociology of education, and large areas of political sociology . The book has been adopted as a textbook , or selections from it assigned as required reading in many...