Charles Horn | University of Victoria (original) (raw)

Papers by Charles Horn

The federal government ¶s Urban Aboriginal Strategy was designed to elevate the strategic plannin... more The federal government ¶s Urban Aboriginal Strategy was designed to elevate the strategic planning capacity of governments and urban Aboriginal communities. We argue that the failure of the UAS to achieve this goal derived from two problems: a flawed engagement strategy on the part of the federal government, and a lack of µfit ¶ between the (spectral, Hobbesian, sovereign) collective subject entailed by the strategic dimension of the UAS, and the collective subject available in the political ontology of urban Aboriginal communities. As a result, urban Aboriginal communities were unable, or unwilling, to take up the strategic possibilities offered by the UAS, with the result that it fell back into conventional program delivery modalities.

Aboriginal enterprises work in a unique political, social and economic context. This research pr... more Aboriginal enterprises work in a unique political, social and economic context. This research project was designed to assess how that unique context influenced the development and implementation of injury prevention programs in Aboriginal enterprises. We hypothesized that these contextual factors would telegraph into the workplace, both complicating and limiting the operations of occupational health and safety programs, in ways that are not found in in-Aboriginal firms. In general, we found support for this hypothesis, although we also found that these unique contextual factors were also a positive influence in some circumstances.

Since the early 1970’s, Aboriginal communities, policy analysts, and researchers have constructe... more Since the early 1970’s, Aboriginal communities, policy analysts, and researchers have constructed ‘urban Aboriginal economic development’ as both a domain of strategic intervention and a field of tactical contestation. An integral part of this project has been the creation of a body of academic knowledge about urban Aboriginal peoples and their relationship to the economy. This article surveys the current state of knowledge about urban Aboriginal economic development, identifying strengths and gaps in our understanding of this topic, arguing that unlike the policy and program domains, academic knowledge is characterized by its refracted, indirect nature. The analysis is informed by the results of a multi-year dialogue process on urban economic development between Aboriginal peoples, researchers, and policy analysts. In response to the limitations identified in the existing literature, we suggest two supplemental approaches: place-based economics, and new regionalism.

The politics of accountability in British Columbia are a complex, often volatile mixture, combini... more The politics of accountability in British Columbia are a complex, often volatile mixture, combining moral mobilization on specific issues with broader public expectations about the effectiveness, transparency and purpose of government services. This issue is particularly acute – almost chronic - in the human services field, where government activities have significant impacts on the lives of vulnerable populations. As such, they invoke deeply held beliefs about the limits of government, its relation to the private realm, and the allocation of political trust amongst public actors. I explore these dynamics through an analysis of the role played by the Representative for Children and Youth. An example of the semi-independent, public watchdog approach to accountability, the Representative occupies a particularly sensitive site in this debate. Embodying a historically specific relationship between safety, control, and advocacy, the Representative’s Office allows us a glimpse of how issues of trust, control, and the exercise of administrative authority over family life are played out in contemporary British Columbia politics.

The federal government ¶s Urban Aboriginal Strategy was designed to elevate the strategic plannin... more The federal government ¶s Urban Aboriginal Strategy was designed to elevate the strategic planning capacity of governments and urban Aboriginal communities. We argue that the failure of the UAS to achieve this goal derived from two problems: a flawed engagement strategy on the part of the federal government, and a lack of µfit ¶ between the (spectral, Hobbesian, sovereign) collective subject entailed by the strategic dimension of the UAS, and the collective subject available in the political ontology of urban Aboriginal communities. As a result, urban Aboriginal communities were unable, or unwilling, to take up the strategic possibilities offered by the UAS, with the result that it fell back into conventional program delivery modalities.

Aboriginal enterprises work in a unique political, social and economic context. This research pr... more Aboriginal enterprises work in a unique political, social and economic context. This research project was designed to assess how that unique context influenced the development and implementation of injury prevention programs in Aboriginal enterprises. We hypothesized that these contextual factors would telegraph into the workplace, both complicating and limiting the operations of occupational health and safety programs, in ways that are not found in in-Aboriginal firms. In general, we found support for this hypothesis, although we also found that these unique contextual factors were also a positive influence in some circumstances.

Since the early 1970’s, Aboriginal communities, policy analysts, and researchers have constructe... more Since the early 1970’s, Aboriginal communities, policy analysts, and researchers have constructed ‘urban Aboriginal economic development’ as both a domain of strategic intervention and a field of tactical contestation. An integral part of this project has been the creation of a body of academic knowledge about urban Aboriginal peoples and their relationship to the economy. This article surveys the current state of knowledge about urban Aboriginal economic development, identifying strengths and gaps in our understanding of this topic, arguing that unlike the policy and program domains, academic knowledge is characterized by its refracted, indirect nature. The analysis is informed by the results of a multi-year dialogue process on urban economic development between Aboriginal peoples, researchers, and policy analysts. In response to the limitations identified in the existing literature, we suggest two supplemental approaches: place-based economics, and new regionalism.

The politics of accountability in British Columbia are a complex, often volatile mixture, combini... more The politics of accountability in British Columbia are a complex, often volatile mixture, combining moral mobilization on specific issues with broader public expectations about the effectiveness, transparency and purpose of government services. This issue is particularly acute – almost chronic - in the human services field, where government activities have significant impacts on the lives of vulnerable populations. As such, they invoke deeply held beliefs about the limits of government, its relation to the private realm, and the allocation of political trust amongst public actors. I explore these dynamics through an analysis of the role played by the Representative for Children and Youth. An example of the semi-independent, public watchdog approach to accountability, the Representative occupies a particularly sensitive site in this debate. Embodying a historically specific relationship between safety, control, and advocacy, the Representative’s Office allows us a glimpse of how issues of trust, control, and the exercise of administrative authority over family life are played out in contemporary British Columbia politics.