Topics
0 Collective consciousness defined
0 Exploring Canadian Identity
0 Exploring Canadian Perspectives
0 Exploring American Identity
What is collective consciousness?
0 Occurs when its members share similar values,
beliefs, and internalized feelings based on their
shared experiences
0 It can develop when the people of the nation focus
their identity as a group rather than on their identities
as individuals
Is there a collective
consciousness in a Canadian
context?
0 “A Canadian is someone who keeps asking the question,
“What is a Canadian.””
0 “Canada is a country built against any common,
geographic, historic or cultural sense.”
0 “Canada is the greatest nation in this country.”
0 What understandings of Canada and being Canadian
are presented in the above quotations? How would
you define Canada?
Different perspectives exist
concerning Canadian nationalism
0 What lead to Canada becoming a nation?
0 Confederation in 1867?
0 Completing the Canadian National Railroad – uniting
people together from coast to coast in 1885?
0 Adding in the rest of the provinces and territories – a
process that ended in 1999?
0 Accomplishments in international conflicts such as
World Wars 1&2?
Different ideas exist defining
Canada’s peoples
0 We are Canadian! – from coast to coast to coast (civic
nationalist view) with common interests, concerns
and values
0 Canada is a marriage between the English and French
(Francophone view) – as such - it is an equal
partnership between Quebec and the rest of Canada –
be careful, or it could end up in divorce!
0 We are a nation of nations (Ethnic nationalist view)
consisting of FNMI peoples, and other immigrants - a
multicultural country
The “Canadian” View
0 We collectively celebrate our accomplishments
0 Vimy Ridge Battle – WW1- a symbol of Canadian pride,
independence, patriotism and nationalism
0 Canada Day – remembering July 1st 1867
0 Creation of our Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982) –
guaranteeing legal rights and freedoms of all Canadians
0 We celebrate our diversity by recognizing we are united
together by accepting our differences – in language,
ethnicity, religion, etc.
The Quebecois View
0 Many (but not all) see themselves as a separate nation
with their own collective consciousness – distinct
from the rest of Canada
0 Based on: their unique history (New France), their
language and customs, their struggle not to be
dominated by English Canada, and their quest for
sovereignty
0 Past events reveal the conflict of a nation within a
nation – Quiet Revolution, FLQ Crisis, Referendums
for Quebec’s independence, refusal to sign onto
Canada’s Constitution
The FNMI View
0 First Nations, Meti and Inuit share the view that they
are unique among Canadians, but also feel that they
are unique in and amongst themselves.
0 Consider the following quote:
0 “We the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas understand
all too well that our survival and future is linked to the
maintenance of our separate and distinct identity, and to
the free exercise of our inherent self determination
within our territories”
0 Notice that national borders aren’t mentioned – could
this just be an oversight?
Exploring American Identity
0 Although Canadians and Americans have many
similarities, there are distinct differences which
contribute to very different perceptions about
nationalism and collective consciousness
America was a nation forged
from warfare
0 They had their revolution, we didn’t
0 They hated the British, we loved them
0 Their ideas to create their nation were based on the
rejection of everything they considered to be British –
in politics, economics and in their social structure
0 Americans share a love of freedom and liberty – these
were the cornerstones of their revolution
0 Americans feel justified in “fighting the good fight;”
especially if they feel that their freedoms or interests
are threatened anywhere in the world
Americans feel united and
divided
0 Unlike our multicultural model, America views itself
as a melting pot – the idea that new immigrants put
aside their old cultures in exchange for the American
culture
-one official language – English
-one set of values – American
-one type of allegiance – to the United States
0 In this case, diversity moves aside for conformity
0 Although Americans have a sense of unity, there have been
forces of disunity at work
-old attitudes and differences still exist between the North and
the South – in politics, and in social attitudes – even in today’s
world
-America fought a Civil War in the 1860’s between north and
south – a key issue was slavery
-the South wanted to keep it, the North rejected it
-after many bloody battles, the North won
– even with the war over, black people fought for their civil
rights well into the 20th Century – esp. in the South
Some final questions to ponder:
0 How does a shared collective consciousness develop?
0 Do newcomers take on the collective consciousness of
their new country?
0 Despite the diversity in Canadian perspectives, is
there a shared Canadian consciousness?