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Bill No. 21: A structural functionalist and symbolic interactionist perspective

​Nawal Shahid

HSC4M: World Cultures

Ms. Cooper

July 10, 2020

This case study discusses the implications of bill No. 21 on the people and society of Quebec,

through a structural functionalist and symbolic interactionist lens.

Context

The government of Quebec passed bill No. 21, which prohibits public-sector workers from

wearing religious symbols in the workplace. The objective of the bill is to unite the people of Quebec and

the rulings of the bill stem from Quebec’s civil law tradition and sustained social values as well as state

laicity. Laicity in terms of the bill means separating religion from government. The bill has sparked

debate across Canada, with some arguing it is unconstitutional and some believing it upholds the values of

Quebec in that it brings people together, where religion divides. Regardless of any controversy or debate

surrounding the bill, it cites a section of the Canadian constitution, making it hard to challenge.

Balancing Internal and External Dimensions of Identity

In a video titled “The Two Sides of Canada,” a political commentator, Hasan Minhaj, and PM

Justin Trudeau had a discussion in which the bill was addressed. Hasan argues the bill is “legalised

discrimination,” and is “about denying people their right to expression.” The PM added that, “a

government shouldn’t be telling anyone what they should or shouldn’t wear in a free society.” Applying a
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structural functionalist perspective here supports their words, because functionalist theory sees religion as

something that unites people by providing social cohesion and maintains a society that stands in

solidarity. It values consensus and collective conscience of the public, thus the idea that this bill is

legalised discrimination is reinforced by functionalist theory, in view of the fact that there are a number of

protests and debates, indicating that this clearly isn’t a collective decision of the people of Quebec, nor

does it uphold the importance of religion as seen from a functionalist perspective. Herbert Spencer, whose

writings inspired structural functionalism said, "Life is the continuous adjustment of internal relations to

external relations" (Spencer, 1855). Internally, lies people’s culture and spirituality along with their

identity. Continually making adjustments or creating a balance between this and external relations, such

as the workplace, creates a stable society where people stand in solidarity and promote respect within the

community. As Hasan mentioned, the bill denies people their right to expression, which does the opposite

of promoting respect and creating solidarity. People’s hardwork, talent, dedication and love for their

respective professions are all undermined because of their identity and cultural values.

Additionally, the PM feels that in a free society, the government can not legitimize discrimination

against someone based on their religion. Talcott Parsons, best known for his social action theory and

structural functionalism, seconds this point, as he believes that instead of big institutions working

independently towards a collective balance, society should focus on the individual's experience and

personal motivations, driven by their cultural values. The big institution, in this case the government, is

dictating people as to what they can not wear, disregarding people’s identities which are entrenched in

their culture.

Hasan Minhaj and PM Trudeau believe bill 21 is discriminatory and unjust, especially in a free

society. The structural functionalist perspective further reiterates this, because stripping people of their

culture and identity ultimately leads to an unstable society lacking solidarity, unity, and respect.
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Bill 21 as a discriminatory factor

An article on BBC news by Jessica Murphy, titled “Quebec Bill 21: Is it OK for public servants to

wear religious symbols?,” discusses different people and what their religious symbols mean to them.

Amrit Kaur, the Quebec vice-president at the World Sikh Organisation says that for her, wearing a turban

is "just such an integral part of my ethos and my being that I can't [disassociate] from it" (Kaur, 2019).

As well, Furheen Ahmed, who has been a teacher in Quebec for over a decade and wears a headscarf,

says she feels both frustrated and angry about the new law. Herbert George Blumer studied symbolic

interactionism, and explained that people attach meanings to things, like how the turban has important

significance for Amrit, and the hijab for Furheen. ​The language used to explain the meaning in those

attachments, and the thoughts associated to those meanings are what make a society's culture.​ Therefore,

from a symbolic interactionist perspective, people like Amrit and Furheen are actively contributing to

Quebec’s culture in a positive way, not only by wearing their religious symbols and adding to Quebec’s

diversity, but by speaking out and explaining the significance their symbols hold in their life, and

educating the public on their identity and how the government is suppressing it.

Bill 21 as an equalizer

Contrary to this, David Rand, a staunch secularist and atheist, and Nadia el-Mabrouk, a professor

of computer science, are both supporters of bill 21 and advocate for secularism in Quebec. David

explains, "I would not wear a T-shirt that says 'God does not exist'” (Rand, 2019), and Nadia says a

woman wearing a headscarf in a classroom is "passive proselytism". These are the subjective meanings

that David and Nadia have imposed on religious symbols. While for hijabi muslim women, the hijab is a

significant and beautiful symbol of faith, to Nadia, it represents conditioning people and pushing their

beliefs on others. To David as an atheist, religious symbols do not hold any meaning at all. Therefore,

through David and Nadia’s meanings and interpretations of religious symbols, and their interactions with
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the people in their society, their society’s culture would be very different than Amrit and Furheen for

example, according to a symbolic interactionist perspective.

What does the future look like?

A full legal challenge of Bill 21 is scheduled to be heard in October. The entire Quebec society

would benefit from this bill not becoming a law. Structural functionalism and symbolic interactionism

both rely on every single individual within a society to make up a stable, well-functioning society and

meet social needs. If certain individuals are denied symbols of their identity, to which great significance is

attached, they will in turn not be able to interact and participate within their society, nor will they be able

to express themselves. The individual then feels like they do not fit into society and their motivations

within a societal structure change, ultimately leading to the downfall of society, as understood from a

symbolic and functionalist perspective.

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References

'I feel a kind of rage inside me': Hijabi teachers in Quebec struggle to find way forward | CBC

News. (2019, September 25). Retrieved from

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/justice-femme-hijab-secularism-law-teachers-1.

5292987

Fariha Naqvi-Mohamed, S. T. (2019, June 20). Fariha Naqvi-Mohamed: For many Quebecers,

Bill 21 changes everything. Retrieved from

https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/fariha-naqvi-mohamed-for-many-quebece

rs-bill-21-changes-everything

Laframboise, K. (2020, April 10). Quebec government 'happy' after Supreme Court declines to

hear Bill 21 challenge, premier says. Retrieved from

https://globalnews.ca/news/6805550/legault-responds-bill-21-challenge/

Lucy Uprichard Updated November 6, 2. (2019, November 06). What Is Quebec's Secularism

Law And How Does It Affect Women? Retrieved from

https://www.chatelaine.com/news/quebec-secularism-bill-21-women/

Murphy, J. (2019, June 17). Quebec Bill 21: Is it OK for public servants to wear religious

symbols? Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-48588604