The author describes how the relationships between Canadian communities are shaped by institutional, linguistic, and cultural factors and notes that these multiple influences produce an asymmetrical structure.

Recognizing that Canadians belong simultaneously to the larger community and to other more local communities -- each generating its own sense of allegiance -- Webber describes how their relationships are shaped by institutional, linguistic, and cultural factors and notes that these multiple influences produce an asymmetrical structure. Webber offers both an overview of the constitutional negotiations and a set of reflections on the appropriate relationship between culture, language, and political community in Canada. These reflections, while rooted in the Canadian context, hold lessons for other pluralistic federations, or for nations confronting similar issues of cultural accommodation.