Changes in the patterns of contact between anglophones and francophones in Quebec
1997
Cartwright, Don
When Britain assumed responsibility for the French Colonies in North America (1763) the French (francophones) were concentrated in the St. Lawrence Lowlands. Subsequent settlements by British and American colonists (anglophones) were guided by government policy, economic opportunities, and political events. The outcome was a mixture of anglophone settlers initially, as intended, developing around the lowland French but subsequently evolving to a peripheral location. Crowded conditions forced the francophones to move into this peripheral area as well. Through these processes a cultural zone of transition evolved between Quebec and her neighbouring provinces. Contact between the two ethnic groups within this zone, however, has not led to integration but moreso to a cultural division. In this situation it has been generally the francophone who has accommodated to the anglophone for required social and vocational interaction. Through the application of the index of language intensity assessment of the impact of recent sociopolitical policies upon this traditional pattern has been made. In the past decade anglophones have been leaving Quebec at an accelerated rate. Those remaining have an opportunity to increase the processes of interaction and integration with the francophone society and, it is theorized, will do so if a negative attitude among the youth toward a future in the province can be overcome.
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