The Power of Allegiances explores contemporary social reality in Canada from a cultural perspective. It proposes that ideas about being Canadian are not culturally neutral. Such ideas are influenced by specific, historical, and cultural traditions that differ from those found in anglophone and francophone communities. By examining the fictional work of several writers of Italian heritage, Marino Tuzi demonstrates that one's cultural and gender identity is a product of conflicting factors, factors which are located in mainstream society and in a given ethnic group. The book shows that this particular representation of Canadian experience by minority writers is conveyed in ways which underline a unique cultural perspective. Marino Tuzi makes use of cultural studies, social history, and the sociology of ethnicity, and literary criticism. This interdisciplinary study of culture and society will be of interest to a variety of readers, from specialists in the fields of cultural studies, literature, and sociology to general readers who are curious about the multicultural nature of contemporary Canadian life.