According to Roy Vogt, issues of property rights are at the heart of some of the most contentious debates in Canadian society. In this book, Vogt shows that many diverse subjects- capitalism, the state, aboriginal struggles, threats to the environment, family relations, and the distribution of power in the workplace- turn on the question of how property rights should be defined and distributed: capitalism, the state, aboriginal struggles, threats to the environment, family relations, and the distribution of power in the workplace.

Vogt contends that conventional definitions of property, which have long played an important role in preserving societal power structures, are unhelpful and even detrimental in the context of the profound social changes that are currently under way, not only in Canada, but in much of the world. He argues that contemporary situations would be better served by a broader understanding of property, one flexible enough to accommodate the demands of an increasingly complex democratic society.

This broad-ranging study introduces a new way of thinking about some of the most challenging issues in contemporary society. Anyone concerned with the current and future state of Canada will want to read this book.

The late Roy Vogt was Associate Professor of Economics, University of Manitoba.

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