Types Of Nationalism In Quebec

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Quebec, “La Belle Province”, is a unique province within the Canadian federation. This uniqueness doesn’t come as a result of the beautiful landscapes or the widespread corruption in the province. Rather, Quebec’s distinctiveness stems from the complexities surrounding its national identity. These nuances intertwine with the already complicated political, economic, and social layers constitute the Quebecois intricate fabric.
There are two ideal types of nationalism: ethnic and civic. Ethnic nationalism is based on a notion of belonging through shared ancestry and descent. It derives its puissance from the fact that a nation is made up of members that share a common blood line- historically, linguistically, and culturally (Muller, 2008) . Civic nationalism is characterized by the adherence to a nation’s democratic principles and political foundations and institutions. It offers a belonging that is open to anyone willing to accept these values, in addition to birth and naturalization ( Stilz, 2009) . However, there may be other emerging forms of nationalism being observed in the Québécois context.
With regards to modern Quebec, the question that poses itself: what is the prevalent type of nationalism in the province? In this paper, I attempt to answer such question by providing three arguments that elucidate the complexities surrounding contemporary Quebec nationalism. The characteristics of these types of nationalism are examined through their underlying ideologies that continuously influence the Quebecois political debate. Finally, the notion of ambiguity is contemporaneous depending on whom the question is posed to , and what factors one should focus on.
Quebec’s current nationalism: civic
Some contemporary elements of nati...

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... through immigration policies that offer settlement opportunities and encourage integration of external groups ( Stilz, 2009). The willingness of the provincial government to fairly deal with migrants from all over the world is reflected through the composition of instruments to facilitate this matter, such as the Bouchard-Taylor Commission(Tremblay, 2010)..
Free trade nationalism is propelled by globalization as a mean towards economic and political sovereignty. However, this type of nationalism may work against the secessionists as it may give further power to the Canadian federation (Hamilton, 2004). Finally, left –wing nationalism is a composite of democracy and liberalism. Quebec Solidaire is a prime example that embraces diversity, independence, and openness. Built –in electoral obstacles may impede the party’s success; hence, retain status quo (Fidler, 2012).

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