Canada a Nation-State the Situation

¶ … Canada a Nation-State

The situation in Canada is considered to be an extremely sensitive issue under discussion at this time. There are concerns over the unity of the country taking into account the fact that there have been already two referenda on the issue of the separation of Quebec from the Confederation (Lehan, 2006). Despite the fact that the idea in itself is important for the eventuality that Quebec becomes a distinctive state in the world, there is little attention from the public opinion of this matter. More precisely, "many Canadians seem to prefer to ignore the issue rather than support a side" (Lehan, 2006). However, in terms of the theoretical debate, the issue of Canada being a nation state is a rather sensitive matter and cannot be given a definite response.

The definition of a nation can differ in expression. Thus, on the one hand, "nations are culturally homogeneous groups of people, larger than a single tribe or communities, which share a common language, institutions, religion, and historical experience" (Rosenberg, 2008). From the perspective given by this definition, it is rather hard to determine whether Canada is or is not a nation state. This is largely due to the fact that Canada does not share a common language; more precisely, English and French are used simultaneously throughout the country, but particularly in Quebec for French. According to statistics, the population is 28% of British descent, while 23% of French descent (CIA, 2007). Therefore, it would be fair to say that the issue of Canada being a nation is still doubtful.

Also, another important aspect is the issue of common institutions. Due to the difference in ethnical background, the country's institutions, but most importantly, its legal system is divided. In this sense, while in the rest of Canada, the British Common Law is applicable, in Quebec, the civil law system based on French provision prevails (CIA, 2007). Therefore, there is a limited unity at this level.

On the other hand, in terms of the history experience a nation must share, it can be said that gaining independence from the British was a common goal which was achieved in 1867. In this sense, a certain political and historical experience common to the entire population does exist and may hold Canada together.

Despite its history, one cannot deny the existence of two distinct forces, one British oriented, and the other French oriented. While the latter manifests itself in terms of secessionist ideas, British Canada and in general supporters of the unity of Canada have developed a sense of nationalism. The term defines in fact, "two phenomena: the attitude that the members of a nation have when they care about their national identity and the actions that the members of a nation take when seeking to achieve (or sustain) self-determination" (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2005). In Canada, these two phenomena manifest at the same time but in relation to other systems of reference. More precisely, the first notion of the term implies the fact that nationalism is used to hold the population together, in spite of the separatist attempts made in the francophone area of Quebec. On the other hand, the second idea of the notion defines the actions undergone by the separatists who seek to create an independent francophone state in Quebec. No matter the perspective, it is clear that the issue of nationalism can be taken into account in discussions over Canada.