Local Identity, Globalization and Contemporary Music in Quebec Nationalism
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University of Calgary PRISM: University of Calgary's Digital Repository Graduate Studies Legacy Theses 1999 La chanson goes hip-hop: local identity, globalization and contemporary music in Quebec nationalism Entwisle, Stephen Entwisle, S. (1999). La chanson goes hip-hop: local identity, globalization and contemporary music in Quebec nationalism (Unpublished master's thesis). University of Calgary, Calgary, AB. doi:10.11575/PRISM/16815 http://hdl.handle.net/1880/25000 master thesis University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission. Downloaded from PRISM: https://prism.ucalgary.ca UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY La Chanson Goes Hip-Hop: Local Identity, Globalization and Contemporary Music in Quebec Nationalism Stephen Entwisle A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS GRADUATE PROGRAM IN COMMUNICATIONS STUDIES CALGARY,ALBERTA AUGUST, 1999 O Stephen Entwisle 1999 National Library Bibliothbque nationale 191 of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographic Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON KIA ON4 Onawa ON KIA ON4 Canada Canada YOUI hl6 VOfIb rdbtWlC8 Our h&a Notre reldrnce The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive Licence allowing the exclusive pennettant a la National Library of Canada to Bibiiotheque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, preter, distribuer ou copies of thls thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette these sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format electronique. The author retains ownershp of the L'auteur conserve la propriete du copyright in hsthesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protege cette these. thesis nor substantial extracts from it Ni la these ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent Stre imprimes reproduced without the author's ou autrernent reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. Abstract Quebecois nationalism as it is represented in music is taken as an example of the expression of local identity in cuitural discourse. It is posited that economic. social and cultural aspects of globalization threaten the formation and expression of local identities. A Cultural Studies analysis of globalization and contemporary music will allow us to understand how local identities are formed and expressed in post-modem cultural discourses. An historical overview of the expression of Quebecois nationalism in lr ch~msonindicates that the representation of Quebecois nationalism in music has evolved as Quebec society and culture have evolved. Using a case study of contemporary Quebec music. it is concluded that while some aspects of globalization have the potential to homogenise the cultural discourse and thus threaten the expression of locnl identities. as exemplified by Quebecois nationalism. other aspects of globalization facilitate the continued formation and representation of local identities. Acknowtednements As with any challenging undertaking, the long, frequently trying task of completing a thesis is made more bearable, more meaningfbl and more rewarding by the involvement and support of fliends and family. I would therefore like to take a moment to thank the people who have been so helpll in the successfU1 completion of this thesis. First and foremost, I would like to thank my thesis supenisor, Charles Acland, for his commitment, his selflessness, his rigour and his encouragement. Charles' knowledge and enthusiasm added enormously to the enjoyment and satisfaction that I derived from this project. I would like to thank Drs. Doug Brent, David Taras, David Mitchell, Edna Einsiedel and Ron Sept for sharing their knowledge and passion for communications studies with their students. I would also like to thank Sylvia Mills and Marion Hillier, the two people who seem to work the hardest and do the most to keep the University of Calgary Graduate Program in Communications running smoothly. At a more personal level, I would like to thank my good mends Mark Johnson and Mike McGinley for their company and their commiseration at our sanity-preserving happy hour meetings. I would particularly like to thank Mark for taking on the difficult task of proofreading this thesis. Last but not least, I would like to thank my parents Michael and Rosemary Entwisle for their unwavering love and support. It goes without saying that I wouldn't have had the strength, the resourcefilness or the persistence to complete this project without both of them to inspire and instruct me. Any oversights, misinformation or other infelicities of writing that may exist within this thesis are mine and mine alone. Table of Contents Approl~alPage ...................................................................................... ii ... Abstract ............................................................................................. -111 Acknowledgements ................................................................................. iv Table of Contents ................................................................................... v Introduction: A Brief History of Quebec Nationalism ........................................1 Chapter 2: Concepts of Identity in the Discourses of the Post-modem and Music ........ 15 Culture ................................................................................... 15 Cultural Studies ........................................................................ 17 Identity .................................................................................-22 Music ...................................................................................-25 Post-modernism ........................................................................32 Globalization.......................................................................... -43 Methodology ...........................................................................52 Chapter 3 : An Historical Overview of La Chanson and Quebecois Nationalism........ -59 Chapter 4: Contemporary Quebec Music: A Case Study ................................... -96 Chapter 5: A Discussion of the Formation and Representation of Local Identities in Discourses of Postmodernism and Music .............................................. 129 References......................................................................................... -157 Introduction: A Brief History of Quebecois Nationalism The twentieth century political landscape of Canada has been shaped in great part by a linguistically-driven, culturally-protective and geographically-bound nationalist movement in Quebec. This is not to imply that Quebec nationalism is by any means a strictly twentieth century phenomenon; rather. its roots reach deep into the province's social, political and cultural history. However, Quebec nationalism has undergone drastic changes since the Second World War, changes that have been concurrent with hndamental shifts in Quebec society as a whole. It is the manner in which Quebec nationalism has evolved that has been so profoundly consequential for Quebec as it is situated politically and socially in Canada. For, while the emergence of a new nationalist consciousness in Quebec has had a profound effect on Canada, it has completely revolutionised La Belk Province. This research endeavour is concerned with Quebec nationalism and the way that it has evolved over the course of the twentieth century. Specifically, this discussion will use Quebec nationalism as an example of the ways in which local identities are formed and expressed within the contexts of globalizatioa and contemporary music. Why should bs particular topic be of concern? Primarily because, as we shall see in the ensuing chapter, the emergence of globalization towards the end of the twentieth century has raised questions as to whether local identities still have available to them the necessary means by which to express their particular cultural concerns. This discussion will examine the relationship between Quebec nationalism and popular music as an exarnplar of the ways in which local identities are expressed. In order to proceed with this discussion, it is necessary to position the evolution of Quebec nationalism within a historical tiamework. This introductory chapter will provide such an historical background and, as such, will enable us to understand the historical, societal and cultural forces that have shaped Quebec nationalism. This will position us to proceed with a more in-depth analysis. As with any cultural phenomena, nationalism takes many forms, serves many purposes and can be conceptualised in numerous ways. .4n anthropological definition might state that "the most basic assumptions of nationalist ideology concern the existence of a geographically, historically and culturally unique nation. That nation is believed to be 'born of and indissolubly linked to a bounded territory and a particular history" (Handler, 1988: 154). While acknowledging the territorial origins of nationalism, hs definition fails to grasp its primal social impetus: the deep human need for affiliation and belonging. Within a cultural