Transformations in contemporary Quebec nationalism, 1960–2020: A shift in the sources of collective animosities

Abstract

This article is interested in the shift of the object of hostility, which historically fuelled Quebec nationalism. The main targets of discontent have long been the 'rest of Canada' and the lower socio-economic status of Francophones.After the 1995 independence referendum, the feeling of dissatisfaction with Canada, and even resentment, gradually faded. This retreating within Quebec's borders has led many French-speaking Quebecers to become concerned about the conditions that make possible the preservation of their cultural and linguistic heritage in North America. This shift has meant that the source of concern is now individuals and groups who do not share this heritage rooted in Western Judeo-Christian values or who are perceived not to adhere to the concerns related to the preservation and development of the French character and the dominant values within the 'Quebec nation'. The expression of these concerns has manifested itself primarily in debates about the place religion should occupy in public and civic spaces since the mid-2000s.

Canada and Comparative Territorial Politics

“…McDougall (2023) focuses his explanation for the weakening of secessionism in Quebec on the decision by the Canadian political class to put the “national question” in “abeyance” (that is, to not attempt to specify the position of Quebec within the Canadian federation in the Constitution). In a similar vein, Rocher (2023) argues that the end of megaconstitutional politics in Canada removed much of the animus that existed in Quebec toward the rest of the country and that fed support for independence in the early 1990s.…”

“…McDougall (2023) concentre son explication de l'affaiblissement du sécessionnisme au Québec sur la décision de la classe politique canadienne de mettre la « question nationale » en suspens (c'est-à-dire de ne pas tenter de préciser la position du Québec au sein de la fédération canadienne dans la Constitution). Dans le même ordre d'idées, Rocher (2023) soutient que la fin de la politique méga-constitutionnelle au Canada a éliminé une grande partie de l'animosité qui existait au Québec envers le reste du pays et qui a alimenté le soutien à l'indépendance au début des années 1990.…”