Quebec's Separation from the Rest of Canada - Research Paper Example

? Research ment First Last of Research ment My research would revolve around the topic on Quebec's separation fromthe rest of Canada. This topic has been chosen since it can provide a good explanation about cultural differences. Also, it has been subjected to many debates in the different fields of social science. The research aims to provide an answer to the following question: why do many Quebecois support the notion of a separate state? As such, it shall be expected that the paper will tackle the four major causes of the separatist movement. For the purpose of this research, the cultural, political, economic and social causes shall be discussed individually. There are many reasons why it is important to study the issue at hand. First, the study shall be conducted so as to enlighten the Canadian people of the Quebecois struggle for identity within their society. Notably, Quebec is the only place in Canada which uses French as its primary language. It is the sole Canadian province in which most of the residents speak French. In fact, of the seven million people living in Quebec, about eighty percent (80%) of its population speaks French based on the demolinguistic data provided by the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages (“Statistics,” 2007). This means that majority of its people have French ancestry (Croats, 2002). Montreal, a city in Quebec is actually the world's "second largest French-speaking city" (Croats, 2002). According to Rennay Croats (2002, p. 22), Quebec is a home to many French Canadians who descended from the original French occupants of the sixteen hundreds (1600s) and seventeen hundreds (1700s). In this context, it can be observed that Quebec is quite different from the other provinces in Canada. The difference is substantially cultural. In comparison with the other Canadian provinces, Quebec is primarily a French-speaking society. The other provinces use English as their official language of communication. By simply knowing these facts, one could somehow understand why to an extent an ethnic struggle is happening within the Canadian society. Language is actually part of a culture. It makes a certain group of people unique from the others. It creates an identity. In this sense, it is also relevant to study the controversy for everyone to understand the relationship between language and ethnicity. It is contended that the two are interrelated. The third and last reason for this research endeavor is to provide a possible solution to the Canadian societal conflict. The main topic of the research paper shall have four subtopics. The subdivision shall be composed of the following ideas: Quebecois Culture vs. Canadian Culture, Political Developments, Economic Influence and Social Differences. First and foremost, the paper will compare the Quebecois culture to the culture of the rest of Canada. This is to be done so as to arrive at the most comprehensive analysis of their cultural differences. Comparison actually provides a foundation for formulating statements with regard to empirical regularities and for interpreting as well as evaluating situations relative to theoretical and substantive criteria (Ragin, 1989). The comparative method of research is concerned with cross-societal similarities and differences (Ragin, 1989). Significantly, this comparison shall also tackle some historical accounts to know the origin of their cultures. Historical data are most of the time effective in exposing ethnic differences. As cited by Kenneth Bailey (1994), historical research can be "an effective complement to generalized scientific research" through the documentation of particular historical event. Second, the paper will investigate the political issues which are related to the separatist movement of the Quebecois. It is actually claimed that the recent political developments in Canada have contributed to the Quebecois move for independence. These political developments are actually centered on the evolution of two Canadian laws, the Canada Act of 1982 and the Charlottetown Accord or the Meech Lake Accord. In the passage of these laws, it is alleged that the province of Quebec was not granted full participation. Actually, Quebec did not give its consent in the implementation of Canada Act of 1982. The reason of which is that the act did not include their aspirations within the Canadian society. The refusal has resulted to a conflict between the separatist political party, the Parti Quebecois and the Liberal Party (Boyce, 2002). To reveal more of this issue, the historical approach shall be employed. Content analysis shall also be used to comprehensively understand the basic content of the two laws in question. In the third section, the economic reason for the separatist movement shall be discussed. Primary and secondary data about the economy of Quebec shall be utilized. Quebec is actually a post-industrial society. It has a booming economy primarily dependent on its vast natural resources. Also, it has been leading the services sector in Canada. All these facts have made Quebec the second most influential province in Canada in terms of economy. This fact has boosted the Quebecois confidence in struggling for independence. The fourth part of the paper shall tackle the topic on social differences. The social differences can be explained after knowing the cultural, political and economic causes. Culture and politics have the tendency to affect behavior and judgment. In relation, it is contended that there is communication gap between the Quebecois society and the rest of Canada. This gap has in fact affected their relation. The communication gap is not lingual but social. To an extent, certain insecurities have occurred in their interaction. The Quebecois may have felt left out or marginalized by the English-speaking societies in Canada. In another aspect, they may have feared that their on-going relation could distort some of their beliefs and could convert them into having a different culture. Critical sociological analysis shall be employed in this part so as to have an accurate understanding of the social factors which contributed to the move for independence. The concluding part will try to summarize the points raised as to the reasons of the Quebecois separatist movement. It will provide a feasible solution to the societal conflict in Canada. It shall be expected then that this section will offer an in-depth insight about the subject on cultural differences. References Bailey, K. (1994). Methods of social research. New York: Simon and Schuster. Boyce, W. (2002). A seat at the table: Persons with disabilities and policy making. Canada: McGill-Queen’s Press. Croats, R. (2002). Quebec: Eye on canada series. Alberta, Canada: Weigl Educational Publishers. Ragin, C. (1989). The comparative method: moving beyond qualitative and quantitative strategies. California: University of California Press. Statistics on Official Languages in Quebec. (2007). Retrieved from http://www.ocol-clo.gc.ca/html/quebec_e.php Read More