Raymond Hebert analyses Manitoba's French-language crisis in detail and considers its local and national implications. For nine months in 1983 and early 1984, beginning with a protest by French-speaking Manitobans who had received parking tickets written only in English and ending with a legal compromise that made Manitoba all but officially bilingual, Manitoba endured charged demonstrations, grimly fought plebiscites, and legislative filibustering.Towards the end of the crisis, legislative paralysis set in and the government itself ground to a halt. Hebert argues that, far from being a spontaneous populist movement, the crisis was largely manufactured by a few individuals, some of whom were in the Legislative Assembly itself. Hebert considers various theoretical models to explain aspects of the crisis and concludes that the authoritarian personality model is the most relevant. Right-wing authoritarianism exists everywhere and, he argues, under proper conditions, especially demagogic leadership, can provoke populist explosions of racist and prejudiced sentiment; hence the "cautionary" nature of this Canadian tale.
| |||||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
"This ostensibly regional story, largely overlooked by the central Canadian media, is of national significance. Inspiring and uplifting, it deserves to be told, read, understood, and appreciated by Canadians from coast to coast." Michael Behiels, Department of History, University of Ottawa
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
About the Author
Raymond M. Hébert is professor of political studies and Canadian studies, St Boniface College, University of Manitoba.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Manitoba's latest linguisitic crisis,
By Remi Lafreniere (Bromont, Quebec Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Manitoba's French-Language Crisis: A Cautionary Tale (Hardcover)
As is often the case in such matters, Manitoba's linguistic crisis of the 70's and 80's started with the issuance of a rather prosaic parking ticket, placed on the vehicle of a man who thought that it might be time to redress a longstanding linguistic grievance in the land of Louis Riel. Mr. Hebert leads his readers through a complex set of facts, featuring a sometimes bewildering cast of players who, more often than not seem to playing against rather than with their respective teams. He nevertheless succeeds in telling the story in a readable and compelling manner. He highlights the heros and the vilans of this drama with the balanced eye of the academic. Mr. Hebert also reveals a shameful side of Manitoba's "outback" where old prejudices are thinly papered over by a veneer of false politeness. It is not often than an academic text reads as easily as a thriller. Mr. Hebert acheived this and the result is a very readable and informative book.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Truly a cautionary tale,
By A Customer
This review is from: Manitoba's French-Language Crisis: A Cautionary Tale (Hardcover)
Raymond Hebert engages as well as educates in his ironic and well-researched 'cautionary tale' of Manitoba's French-Language crisis of the 1980's. The reader should not see this book as 'just history' however, since history has a bad habit of repeating itself. The prejudice, ignorance, apathy and just plain bungling evident in the events related to this story continue in varying degrees today - not only in Manitoba, but around the world - not only in the French-English 'debate' but in any debate, spoken or otherwise, dealing with issues of human rights, human dignity and respect.This well researched, scholarly account is accessible to all readers with an interest in human interaction. Hebert's style is personable and involved even while he presents 'the facts'. His personal presence during this time in Manitoba's history and numerous quotes allow him to bring the reader to a front row seat. Hebert's voice is clear, intelligent and ironic. A highly recommended read!
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
