Canadian Politics



A05(d) - Language and Language Policy

Date: Jun 12 | Time: 03:30pm to 05:00pm | Location: 680 Sherbrooke St. West 495

Chair/Président/Présidente : Daniel Salée (Concordia University)

Discussant/Commentateur/Commentatrice : Daniel Salée (Concordia University)

Bridging the Gap: Bilingualism and the End of the Two Solitudes: Philippe Chassé (Université de Montréal and Sciences Po Paris), Matthew Taylor (Université de Montréal)
Abstract: First coined by novelist Hugh MacLennan, the expression “two solitudes” is frequently used to describe the cultural divide between Canada’s two main linguistic groups: Anglophones and Francophones. Research demonstrates that English- and French-speaking Canadians differ in a wide range of behaviours including their political preferences, their vision of the Canadian federation, and their national identity. In this article, we ask whether individual bilingualism is associated with a decrease in the attitudinal differences between English- and French-speaking Canadians. Primarily, we attempt to determine if knowledge of the French language is related to an increase in the responsiveness of English-speaking citizens (the majority language group in Canada) towards issues that typically preoccupy French-speaking Canadians. Using survey data collected in the summer of 2023 (n = 1596), we investigate the extent to which the attitudes of Anglophones who speak French converge with the attitudes of Francophones when compared to Anglophones with no knowledge of the French language. We are particularly interested in Anglophones’ attitudes towards the future and protection of French in Canada, official bilingualism, and Quebecers. These reflect topics on which the Canadian population is generally divided along linguistic lines. Our analyses suggest that knowledge of French as a second language is strongly linked to the political preferences of Canadian citizens. These results highlight the relevance of considering the different languages that people speak – and not just their mother tongue – to understand their political attitudes.


Official Language Governance: Ideological Analysis through Hybrid Anglophone and Francophone Traditions: Timothy van den Brink (Simon Fraser University)
Abstract: This project compares five official language action plans and roadmaps developed by the Canadian federal government between 2003 and 2023. We understand these as policy instruments which articulate how the government intends to respect its constitutional and legislative obligations via-à-vis the two official languages. They include a vision statement, policy priorities, specific projects, and funding commitments. Two of these were elaborated by Conservative governments (2008-2013 & 2013-2018), whereas three were put forward by Liberal governments (2003-2008, 2018-2023 & 2023-2028). Our analysis identifies the ideological markers that guide and frame each policy instrument. We investigate the relationship between the government and the governed, shifts in the usage of key concepts between documents, and the roles of community-based organizations and provincial governments in the conception and execution of these policy goals. Our analysis innovates in its use of theory, combining works on policy instruments from French/Francophone political sociology and the morphological approach to the study of ideologies from Anglo-American political thought. By combining these two approaches, this project offers greater conceptual clarification of political ideologies and their effects on official languages governance in Canada. We feel our project is a perfect fit for CPSA 2024’s approach on method innovation as we provide new insights into the role of political ideas and ideologies in language policy.


Le déclin de la langue française au Québec : une perspective citoyenne: Jean-François Daoust (Université de Sherbrooke), Thomas Gareau-Paquette (McGill University)
Abstract: Au Québec, l’usage du français, particulièrement dans le contexte domestique, est en recul (Statistiques Canada 2022). Cette évolution s'accompagne d’un sentiment croissant que le français n'est plus aussi dominant et qu'il perd du terrain dans l'espace public. Bien que l’ampleur du recul du français diffèrent selon les indicateurs et périodes sélectionnés, il est indéniable que la place du français en tant que langue commune fait face à des défis reliés notamment à la situation minoritaire du Québec en Amérique du Nord. Cette situation est lourde de sens pour la vie politique québécoise et soulève plusieurs questions. Quelle est l’opinion publique sur cet enjeu? Est-ce que les québécoiss et les québécoises sont inquiets de ce déclin, ou plutôt indifférents? Nous connaissons l’avis des élites (e.g., élu-es), mais la perspective citoyenne reste méconnue. Dans cette recherche, nous brossons en premier lieu un portrait détaillé du sentiment d’inquiétude par rapport au déclin de la langue française au Québec. Nous examinons ensuite les déterminants de ces attitudes (i.e., qui est plus susceptible d’être inquiet ou non), en se concentrant sur des clivages sociodémographiques, mais aussi politiques. Enfin, nous nous penchons sur les conséquences politiques de cette inquiétude en analysant l’impact de ce sentiment sur les comportements électoraux grâce aux données des Études électorales québécoises et canadiennes (Mahéo et al. 2023; (Stephenson et al. 2022).