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Contests, Competitions and Partnerships

Relationships in Transition

2003 - Governance and Freedom of Choice

Announcing the 2003 Relationships in Transition Initiative: Governance and Freedom of Choice

The pace and depth of social change have rendered large areas of law obsolete, ineffective or inadequate. The urgent need to renew the law is revealed not only in the courtroom, but also in the marketplace, the workplace, schools and universities, scientific laboratories, hospitals, social welfare centres and the home. To this end, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and the Law Commission of Canada (LCC) have joined forces in a Strategic Joint Initiative, the Relationships in Transition program.

Each year, this program focuses on one of four themes: economic relationships, personal relationships, social relationships and governance relationships. The theme for the 2003 competition is Governance and Freedom of Choice.

As part of its governance project, the LCC has sponsored a number of projects that articulate a vision of the citizen as the agent, not the object, of governance. The concept of the citizen as an agent of law and governance suggests that he or she has choices to make and that those choices will be respected. But is this really the case? There is no doubt that the socio-economic structure limits citizens' choices as well as their effective exercise of those choices. Moreover, these choices are circumscribed by law, conventions and customs. Our society respects some choices, but not others.

The concept of freedom of choice is a predominant feature of our political, social and legal thinking. But have we truly reflected on all the implications of this idea? What does it mean for a society to believe in the freedom to choose and to use this concept as a guiding principle in its own organization? To what extent can the organization of labour, the legal system, the family, recreation, urban centres and community life truly reflect the principle of freedom of choice? Is it really an ideal worth pursuing? The Law Commission’s goal for the Relationships in Transition Initiative is to fund empirical and theoretical research on diverse questions concerning respect for the freedom of choice of individuals and communities, particularly in the context of structural analyses of our law and society.

For comprehensive program information and application materials, please consult the program description in the SSHRC Grants Guide.