Social Studies 20-1NationalismRELATED ISSUE I: TO WHAT EXTENT SHOULD NATION BE THE FOUNDATION OF IDENTITY?CHAPTER 4: TO WHAT EXTENT DO PEOPLE’S EXPERIENCES WITH NATIONALISM VARY?

Chapter Inquiries

Is there a collective consciousness in a Canadian context?

Is there a range of collective consciousness among people in Canada?

Do Americans share a collective consciousness?

DEFINE: Collective Consciousness

WHAT MAKES UP A SHARED COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS?

Collective Consciousness

A term coined by the French sociologist Émile Durkheim (1858–1917) to refer to the shared beliefs and moral attitudes which operate as a unifying force within society.

A group or nation may share a collective consciousness when its members collectively share similar values, beliefs, and internalized feelings based on their shared experiences

A collective consciousness can develop when the people of a nation focus on their identity as a group rather than on their identities as individuals

An awareness, or internal consciousness, shared by many people. It may be based on a shared memory of and pride in specific events, which become myths and symbols of belonging.

Exploring Canadian Identity

IS THERE A COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS IN A CANADIAN CONTEXT?

Activity: Canadian Identity

Your group (2-3 people) has been selected as junior ambassadors for Canada. You will be leaving on a two week trip to a foreign country, where very little English is spoken. Your job is to teach people a little about Canada and our unique culture. Since this is a brief trip, you have limited space to bring items for your demonstration

With your group, using poster paper, visually represent 5 items you would take along to help explain about Canadian culture

Be prepared to present to class in 15 minutes, and explain WHY you selected these items

Think about…what kind of impressions of Canada do you want to leave? Are there stereotypes you wish to dispel?

Debrief

What items did groups have similar? Different? Do all citizens in Canada share the same

understanding of what Canada is? Do we all share the same sense of what it means to

be Canadian? What sense of nationalism is tied to these ideas?

Did you know?

2006 Canadian Census, 91.6% of the nation’s population responded “Canadian” when asked to describe their ethnic origin

Their depiction of themselves in this way suggests that they see themselves as belonging to a nation, a nation that is distinctively different from the 196 other possible choices listed

It would not be reasonable to propose that people who describe themselves as Canadian possess a collective consciousness

Exploring Canadian Perspectives

IS THERE A RANGE OF COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS AMONG PEOPLE IN CANADA?

Diverse Understandings

Within Canada, there are diverse understandings of the meaning of nation

Historically, the collective consciousness of the Quebecois in Canada has developed since the first French settlements in Canada

Also, the FNMI people also hold alternative understandings of nation based on unique languages and cultures that predate European arrival

Activity: Quebecois Nationalism

Working individually, create a FLOWCHART that traces the evolution of Quebecois nationalism.

Use pages 81-84

QB Nationalis

mEvent 1

How did it contribute to nationalism?

How did it contribute to nationalism?

Event 2

Québécois Nationalism

Canadien or Canadien-français Up until the last few decades of the 20th century, Quebec’s economy was

largely in the hands of the _____ population of the province In order to provide employment, what did the province encourage? Who was dominating Quebec’s businesses? What did this result in? Maître chez nous – Masters of our own house Jean Lesage, la Révolution tranquille, the Quiet Revolution

What were some of the reforms? What types of reforms were they?

Québécois Nationalism (cont’d)

How did the reforms of the Quiet Revolution shift feelings of nationalism?

The Québécois became distinct from other Francophones Social, economic, political changes Formulation of political movements and parties October Crisis (War Measures Act)

Québécois Nationalism (cont’d)

People felt that what followed Pearson’s Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism was not enough to realize their ideal of Québec as a nation for the Québécois.

How did the political reforms of the Quiet Revolution and the extreme actions and resulting isolation of some Francophones from the October Crisis encourage a Québécois nationalism focused on the preservation of the French language and Québécois culture in Canada?

Québécois Nationalism (cont’d)

Quebec wouldn’t ratify the 1982 Constitution Meech Lake Accord (1987)

What feelings did this evoke amongst the Canadiens? Charlottetown Accord (1992) Parti Québécois and Bloc Québécois 1995 referendum results?

In what ways did a sense of collective identity among Québécois contribute to efforts to create a sovereign nation-state?

Overview of Québécois Nationalism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPqoeJ70qg4

Activity: FNMI Nationalism

Read pages 85-89 Create a MIND MAP

that shows sources of FNMI nationalism FNMI

Nationalism

Example Example

Example

FNMI Nationalism

“We the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas understand all too well that our survival and future is linked to the maintenance of our separate and distinct identity, and to the free exercise of our inherent self determination within our territories.” –Ovide Mercredi

Analyze Mercredi’s choice of words in the quote above. How does he express who First Nations peoples are?

FNMI Nationalism

How do these understandings, including those expressed in the Voices section, contribute to a shared collective consciousness for First Nations peoples? Métis? Inuit?

Explore the Issue: Canadian Nationalism

What are some alternative meanings of nation and nationalism in Canada?

To what extent do alternative meanings of nation and nationalism shape alternative understandings of Canadian identity?

To what extent is Canada a reflection of the embracing of many understandings of nation and nationalism?

Exploring American Identity

DO AMERICANS SHARE A COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS?

American Identity: What do Americans share that makes them feel American?

American Revolution (1775-1776) American feelings of nationalism and belonging grew

until fighting for independence broke out The Declaration of Independence United States Constitution

Civil War (1861-1865) War between North (Union) and South (Confederate)

was brutal and deadly, however in the end created a sense of unity between states

Civil War (1861-1865)

American Identity (cont’d)

Civil War (1861-1865) Union states vs Confederation states Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation

Proclaimed the freedom of all slaves and made ending slavery in the South a focus of the war

Is the Civil War a symbol of American nationalism for both the people of the North and of the South? Does this shared history unite Americans as a nation or divide them?

Unresolved social, political, economic, and racial tensions still exist today

American Identity: Myth and Ethos The American Dream

America as the land of plenty, opportunity and destiny Freedom to achieve your goals through hard work Why might the idea of the American Dream be used in expressions of American

nationalism? Is it a shared experience for many newcomers? Why or why not? What factors affect the American Dream? Does the myth of the American

Dream change? The Melting Pot

Assimilate to dominant culture Defenders of Democracy

Why do Americans view themselves as defenders of democracy? Do others view America as defenders of democracy?

At this point, you should be able to respond to the original chapter inquiries below…

Is there a collective consciousness in a Canadian context?

Is there a range of collective consciousness among people in Canada?

Do Americans share a collective consciousness?