Tango Romantica or Liaisons Dangereuses? Cultural Policies and Social Cohesion: Perspectives from Canadian Research.

The article examines the connection between cultural policy and social cohesion in Canada. Over the last fifty years, there have been three recurring themes in cultural policy discourse according to Oliver Bennett. These themes include culture as a source of moral improvement, culture as an economic engine, and culture as an instrument for promoting national identity and prestige. Majority of cultural policies in Canada over the past 60 years has been focused on counteracting the threat of American cultural domination. The role of culture in building cohesive and sustainable societies is a theme that fits well within the social cohesion research framework taking shape in the country.