Canadian identity: Implications for international social work by Canadians

This paper is in response to recent calls to conceptualize and articulate Canadian perspectives
and experiences in international social work, given that the Canadian standpoint has been lacking
in international social work literature. This paper contends that it is imperative, first of all, to
critically examine and unpack our ‘Canadian’ identity in order to practice international work that
is socially just and anti-imperialist. Drawing on the work of post-colonial authors, critical race
theorists, and those who study national myth-making, this essay revisits Canadian identity
because it is this identity that Canadian social workers often carry into their international work.