Dissertations and Theses @ UNI
Availability
Open Access Thesis
Keywords
Québec (Province)--Ethnic relations--Political aspects; Québec (Province)--Politics and government; Québec; Ethnic relations--Political aspects; Politics and government;
Abstract
For the last several decades the Canadian province of Quebec has faced internal debate over whether or not it should achieve greater sovereignty from the rest of Canada. Since the 1960s a strong separatist movement has arisen within the province that has effectively instituted policies that increased the use of the French language in Quebec while restricting the use of English. Faced with the prospect of an independent or increasingly autonomous province dominated by a francophone majority, the three main ethnic groups in the province--the anglophones, allophones, and aboriginal peoples, have sought with varying degrees of unanimity and success to resist the separatist movement's policies and programs. The thesis uses a number of approaches and topics to present the importance of minority influence over the question of sovereignty for the province. The historical relationship between the francophones and the anglophones is explored, indicating that both linguistic populations developed their own set of institutions within Quebec. While both populations have resided within the province for hundreds of years they have often preferred protecting the language and culture of their own communities to working together or reaching a greater understanding between one another. Several decades of political dominance by those favoring greater autonomy for the province have contributed to the growing militancy by the minorities in opposition to an independent or semi-independent Quebec. No longer willing to rely upon the Canadian government as the primary protector of their linguistic and cultural status within Quebec, the province's non-francophone peoples are increasingly asserting their belief that English should be used more freely in public in the province. Unwilling to live within the boundaries of an independent Quebec and swearing greater allegiance to Canada, the non-francophones increasingly support territorial partition of the province should an independent Quebec come about in Canada. The research methods employed in compiling this thesis included reviewing numerous articles, books, and Internet sites. Seeking to summarize a long and complex topic the thesis discusses the importance of aboriginal claims for greater sovereignty, the strategies of the separatist movement to minimize the influence of minorities over its desire for sovereignty, and how modern grassroots and national efforts to combat separatism are impacting the total debate.
Year of Submission
1996
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Department of Political Science
First Advisor
Kenneth Basom
Second Advisor
Dhirendra Vajpeyi
Third Advisor
Thomas Fogarty
Date Original
1996
Object Description
1 PDF file (139 leaves)
Copyright
©1996 Paul William Gausmann
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Gausmann, Paul William, "The Impact of Ethnic Minorities Within Quebec Upon the Question of Greater Sovereignty for the Province" (1996). Dissertations and Theses @ UNI. 2725.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/etd/2725
Comments
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