A Thesis Fall, 1995
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University of Alberta An Anthropological Examination of Family Structures in Canadian Historical Context by Joan Evelyn Popp :@ A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Mâster of Arts Department of Anthropology Edmonton, Al berta Fall, 1995 National Library Bibliothèque nationale I+Idm, du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Weiringûm Street 395. rue Wellington OtiawaON K1AON4 Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Libmy of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous papcr or electronic formats. la fome de microfiche/nlm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor subs+mtialextracts from it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. For Brant and Grier Abstract Using a set of ideal-type models developed by Emmanuel Todd who posits a relationship between family structure and the values that inform the working out in practice of political ideology, this thesis examines and analyzes selected practices of Highland Scots, French-Canadian and English colonists and their descendants in rural Canadian contexts. The findings of this study indicate that the family structures of these three groups appear to have conformed in most respects to three of the ideal-types identified by Todd although systernatic variations in practices within each of these groups that emerged or attained prominence in Canada over time suggests that the weight or emphasis placed on specific values associated with each of the ideal-type family structures was not static or uniform. In order to facilitate the application of Todd's analytical approach in contemporary settings recommendations for improvements to these models to correct identified deficiencies have been made; as have specific suggestions for the variables that may be of more salience in post-industrial societies than are those considered to be reliable in agrarian societies. Acknowledgements I wish to thank Dr. David Bai for his encouragement and guidance and support throughout the preparation of this thesis. I am also grateful to the other members of my wmrnittee, Dr. Michael Asch and Dr. Susan McDaniel for their tirne, interest and constructive criticism. I owe a special debt of gratitude to my husband Brant and to my daughter Grier for their support, patience, and faith that I would eventually complete this project. Table of Contents Introduction ............................................................................ Data and Methodological Issues ........................................... Organization and Description of Chapters .......................... Endnotes .................................................................................. Chapter One: Anthropological Theory and Issues Introduction .......................................................................... Family and Kinship Studies in Anthropology ................... Existing Comparative Literature ...................................... Analytic Framework ........................................................... Use of Ideal-Type Models in Anthropology ..................... Clarification of Concepts and Ternis .............................. Endnotes ........................................................................... Chapter Two: Canadian Historical Context Introduction ........................................................................ Immigration and Settlement ............................................ New France/Quebec ................................................. Seigneurial Tenure and Land Poiicy ....................... Canada West ............................................................. Freehold Tenure and Land Policy ............................. Emigration Patterns ......................................................... European Contexts .......................................................... Migration in Europe ......................................................... Canadian Context ............................................................ Migration in North America ............................................. Endnotes .......................................................................... Chapter Three: Analytical Framework Introduction Todd's Ideal-Type Family Structure Models ........................ Genesis ............................................................................. Range of Distribution ....................................................... Development of Models ........................................................ Le Play's Typology ........................................................... Four Family Models ......................................................... Todd's Expanded Typology ............................................ Family Structure and Gender .......................................... Endnotes ............................................................................... Chapter Four: Analysis of Selected Historical Data Introduction ............................................................................ Highland Scots .Authoritarian ............................................ Ideal-type Authontarian Family ....................................... Authoritarian Families in European Context ................ lntergenerational Transmission in the Scottish Highlands Practices in Canadian Townships ................................. Land Acquisition Strategies ........................................... lntergenerational Transmission - Eastern Townships Migration Patterns .......................................................... Discussion ....................................................................... French-Canadian .Egalitarian .............................................. Ideal-Type Egalitarian Nuclear ........................................ Egalitarian Nuclear in European Contexts ..................... lntergenerational Transmission in Sixteenth Century France. Intergenerational Transmission in New FranceIQuebec .. Practices in Canadian Contexts ...................................... Seigneuries 1740-1 854 ................................................ United Empire Loyalists ................................................ Townships 1840-1 881 .................................................. Land Acquisition and lntergenerational Transfers ...... Migration Patterns ......................................................... Discussion ..................................................................... English .Absolute Nuclear ..................................................... Ideal-Type Absolute Nuclear Families ............................. Absolute Nuclear Families in European Contexts ........ lntergenerational Transmission - England ...................... Background ....................................................................... Land Acquisition Strategies ............................................ lntergenerational Transmission ....................................... Migration Patterns ............................................................ Discussion ......................................................................... Endnotes ........................................................................... Chapter Five: Surnmary and Conclusions Summary .................................................................................. Critique and Assessrnent of Todd's Analytic Models .......... Conclusions ............................................................................. Future Studies ......................................................................... Literature Cited Figures 1 Values Underlying Farnily Types Within Europe .......................... 43 2 Processual Depiction of Todd's Ideal-Type Family Structures .. 107 Introduction The obvious changes in the patterns of immigration over the past thirty years, and the debates about Canada's multiculturalism policies during the last decade, have raised numerous issues and questions at the popular level about the actual and potential impact that these new ethnowltural wllectivities have already had or will have on what are perceived to be core Canadian values and institutions. While media coverage tends to concentrate on the dificulties that both members of new immigrant groups and the members of the dominant cultural groups have experienced in adjusting to one another, particularly with respect to race, neither they nor those who have engaged in more academic and theoretical debates, have defined or debated to any extent just why or how the values of immigrant groups differ from, or are perceived to differ from those of resident Canadians (Frideres, 1992: 65). Part of the problern is that given the reality of what is referred to as FrenchlEnglish dualism, and the regional and cultural heterogeneity of Canada as a whole any atternpt to debate this issue immediately calls into