University of Nevada, Reno a Study of the Impacts of Language Policies
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University of Nevada, Reno A Study of the Impacts of Language Policies on National Identity in Quebec A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Geography and the Honors Program by Jesse Edward Tenenbaum Dr. Jessie Clark, Thesis Advisor May, 2017 UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA THE HONORS PROGRAM RENO We recommend that the thesis prepared under our supervision by Jesse Edward Tenenbaum entitled A Study of the Impacts of Language Policies on National Identity in Quebec be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of BACHELOR OF ARTS, GEOGRAPHY ______________________________________________ Jessie Clark, Ph.D., Thesis Advisor ______________________________________________ Tamara Valentine, Ph. D., Director, Honors Program May, 2017 i Abstract The province of Quebec has had a long history of tension with the rest of Canada. This tension stems from Quebec’s historic legacy linked to the language, culture, and religion of France in contrast to the English ties of other Canadian provinces. Over the recent decades the provincial government of Quebec has implemented policies that promote and protect the use of the French language within Quebecois territory in order to prevent assimilation into broader Anglo-North American culture. This project examines the relationship between language policy and national identity in Quebec. Specifically, this project explores nationalist sentiment around and since the time of the 1995 Quebec referendum for independence and the role of language policy in influencing nationalistic sentiments among former and current Quebec residents. I ask: {is there a link between policy and identity, especially between the language policies of the province of Quebec and the national identities of Quebec residents?} By analyzing scholarly sources, considering maps, demographic data, popular culture, and interviewing Quebecois individuals, I argue that the language policies implemented by Quebec’s provincial government can and do impact the national identities of individuals. Key Terms: Nation, State, National identity, Language policy, Quebec ii Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge Dr. Jessie Clark for her support and wisdom throughout my work on this project. Her expertise, organizational skills, and patience make her an excellent mentor. Additionally, the classes I took in the Geography and French departments at the University of Nevada, Reno piqued my interest in the region and the topic I focus on, in this study. I thank the University of Nevada, Reno, Honors Program, for helping me learn how to conduct research, analyze and synthesize information, and think at a higher level. I would also like to acknowledge the participants who agreed to be interviewed and without whom much of my research would not have been possible to carry out. iii Table of Contents Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………..i Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………...ii Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………..iii List of Tables..…………………………………………………………………………..iv List of Figures……..…………………………………………………………………….v Introduction……………………………………………………………………………...1 Literature Review………………………………………………………………………..4 Quiet Revolution………………………………………………………………………...8 Language Policies………………………………………………………………………11 1995 Referendum……………………………………………………………………….12 Methods…………………………………………………………………………………15 Participants……………………………………………………………………………...17 Fear and Pride Surrounding the French Language and Culture…………………………19 Othering of Anglophone Residents……………………………………………………...26 Nuanced and Changing National Identities……………………………………………..28 Conclusions……………………………………………………………………………..30 References……………………………………………………………………………….33 Appendix A……………………………………………………………………………...37 iv List of Tables Table 1 – Major Language Bills of Quebec since 1969 (Behiels and Hudson, 2013)…10 Table 2 – List of Interviewees (pseudonyms), Age, Current City, City of Birth, First Language, and National Identity.………………..…………….............................……15 v List of Figures Fig. 1 – Locator map of Quebec showing its relation to the rest of Canada and the world…………………………………………………………………………………. 2 Fig. 2 – General map of Quebec with major cities…………....................................... 3 Fig. 3 – Picture of license plate featuring the distinctive phrase “Je me souviens” (I remember) in French………………..………………………… 21 1 Introduction Because the French language is one of the key vehicles of expression of Quebecois identity, the government of Quebec has a vested interest in encouraging the use of the language in order to help maintain this sense of identity within the province. These actions have led to nationalistic sentiments, including support for the idea that Quebec should be a sovereign state, independent and autonomous from the rest of Canada. I examine the role that the province’s government plays in perpetuating Quebecois identity and nationalistic sentiment via the medium of policies that dictate how residents should use language(s) within the boundaries of the province so that I can answer the question: {Is there a link between policy and national identity, especially between the language policies of the province of Quebec and the national identities of Quebec residents?} I discuss the scholarly works I drew on for my research and their relevance to the specific case of the Quebecois identity and nationalist movement. I then explain some of the most important historical events and facts concerning Quebec’s political, economic, and cultural development – notably the Quiet Revolution and key language legislation – before discussing the methodology I used to conduct interviews with individuals from Quebec, including expatriates who now live in the US and people who currently reside in Montreal. The most important factors to understand about Quebecois identity is the fear that the French language and culture of Quebec will be lost in favor of the English language and Anglo-American popular culture; and the pride French-speaking Quebecois people exhibit in having preserved their language and culture in spite of their small numbers and geographic isolation. Afterward, the concept of “othering” is discussed, especially as it is linked to the tensions experienced by English 2 speaking residents of the province, emphasizing the fact that identity is rarely black and white, but nuanced for each individual. Finally, I conclude by recapping the most important concepts and discoveries I made through this study, and how these concepts and discoveries help answer my thesis question. The locator map below of Quebec in Figure 1 shows Quebec’s relation to the rest of Canada and the western hemisphere. This map is important as it helps visualize the fact that Quebec’s francophone population is surrounded by English-speakers. Figure 2 is a general map of the province that includes the largest cities and towns: Quebec City and Montreal are the most important cities of the province and are where my interviewees are from. Fig. 1 – Locator map of Quebec showing its relation to the rest of Canada and the world Image acquired from: http://maps.maphill.com/canada/quebec/location-maps/physical-map/highlighted- country/entire-country/physical-location-map-of-quebec-highlighted-country-entire-country.jpg 3 Fig. 2 – General map of Quebec with major cities Image acquired from: http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/province/lgcolor/pqcolor.gif According to the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages (a website of the Canadian government), as of 2011, 19,137,513 Canadians (57.8%) speak English as their mother tongue; 7,172,558 (21.7%) speak French as their mother tongue; and 6,811,096 (20.6%) speak a language other than French or English as their mother tongue (there are 4 many indigenous languages in Canada, as well as languages spoken by foreign immigrants from all over the world); to make a combined total of 33,121,168 people living in Canada. In addition to being surrounded by Canadian English speakers, Quebec also borders the American states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. According to the site of the United States Census Bureau, the population of the United States was projected to pass the 325 million mark in May of 2017, putting the population at nearly ten times the population of Canada. Taking these statistics into consideration, the fact that Quebec’s approximately seven million French-speaking individuals are neighbored by over 300 million English-speakers, remains one of the most prominent reasons that Quebecois individuals express pride in their identity and the desire to preserve it. Literature Review Carson et al. (2013), Fallon and Rublik (2011), Gade (2013), and Gifra (2014), discuss language policies of the province, notably the policies implemented in schools that require all schooling to be conducted in French, and how such a phenomenon shapes the way children, and consequently adults too, self-identify. Based on their research, these scholars assert that children who are educated in a language more often feel an affinity for that language and are more inclined to identify with the group associated with that language. Carson et al. (2013), Freake et al. (2011), Gade (2003), Guiberneau (2006), Piroth (2008), Barlow and Nadeau (2003), Wayland (1997) and Dion (1991) have examined the concept of identity quite extensively, especially the Quebecois identity, 5 which stems from the insecurity of being a minority linguistic community surrounded by a much larger and more powerful linguistic