Written by guest bloggers, Richard Nimijean and Anne Trépanier.
The articles in this issue come mostly from a conference we organized called “Where is Québec in Canadian Studies?” We chose this theme for a few reasons.
First, while the rise of Canadian Studies as a discipline was intimately linked to national debates exploring Québec’s role in Canada, over the past few decades, Québec has increasingly disappeared from Canadian Studies programs and the curriculum in related disciplines in Canada, as some of the contributors describe.
Anne TrépanierHowever, at the same time, our international colleagues have increasingly explored the two in unison. Thus, we thought that bringing Canadian, Québécois(e) and international scholars together would provide valuable insights into our conference theme. In this way, we could not only rehash problems of the discipline; we could hear from scholars and students all over the world share their strategies for addressing challenges and hear about success stories where the study of Québec and Canada are integrated. This is particularly important for academics in English Canada who can use support and /or inspiration to continue teaching and researching Québec.
Second, this is important beyond the academic level; at its best, Canadian Studies addresses issues of fundamental importance to Canada and Canadians. The issue of Québec’s place in Canada and related issues such as the status of official bilingualism, and pressures they may cause, never go away, even though some in Canada might wish they would. Recently, PQ leadership candidate Pierre Karl Péladeau has been talking up sovereignty and raising memories of the 1995 referendum. This reminds us that despite ebbs and flows in Québécois support for sovereignty, it never disappears as an issue not only for Québec but also for Canada. In this sense, we are reminded of Jacques Parizeau’s comparison of Québec nationalism as a never-ending toothache for English Canada. While sovereignists and federalists have different remedies to cure the pain, it must be addressed.
Richard NimijeanThus, the issue will only become less prominent once people in English Canada have a greater knowledge of the issues, which requires learning, research and dialogue across the solitudes. That is why the question of the decline or absence of Québec is important – not just as a scholarly or pedagogical issue, but as one affecting all citizens of Canada.
Finally, as a Franco-Québécoise and an Anglo-Québécois, we have been able in our department to give our students the opportunity to explore these issues in depth. Many of our students have little knowledge of Québec, the forces driving Québec nationalism, the various forms of Québec nationalism, and Québec’s important role in the creation and evolution of Canada and Canadian federalism. Once exposed to these issues, we have been fortunate to see their analysis of Canada and Québec strengthen as a result.
Our experiences with our students instruct us that revisiting questions about the two solitudes tell us more not only about how Canadian Studies as a discipline has evolved, but also how Canadian academic disciplines in the two solitudes have evolved. The study of differences in the two solitudes has changed from a more ethnic basis to the study of politics, social organization, and a changing worldview based on a more complex world influenced by globalization and neoliberalism. Arguably, more communication between the solitudes intellectually would also increase the impact of Canadian and Québécois(e) scholars internationally. Our hope is that the articles in this volume promote that, and encourage other scholars to bring Québec back into Canadian (and other) studies.
Richard Nimijean and Anne Trépanier’s Introduction to Quebec in Canadian Studies can be found in the International Journal of Canadian Studies Vol. 50. Click Here to Read.
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