The Making of the Nations and Cultures of the New World

by Bouchard, Gerard; Weinroth, Michelle; Browne, Paul Leduc

• ISBN13: 9780773532946
• ISBN10: 0773532943
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-03-01
• Publisher: McGill Queens Univ Pr

Summary

Between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries the Americas, Australia, and New Zealand emerged as nations. Through conquest and violent appropriation, European immigrants settled these lands and soon developed a sense of belonging, most potently expressed in identity, memory, and the belief in utopias. Many of these new collectivities or founding nations succeeded in breaking their colonial links to achieve political and cultural emancipation from their European mother country.The Making of the Nations and Cultures of the New Worldexplores the question of how a culture - a collective imaginary - is born. Geacute;rard Bouchard compares the historical itineraries of New World collectivities, which were driven by a dream of freedom and sovereignty, and finds major differences as well as striking commonalities in their formation and evolution. He also considers the myths and discursive strategies devised by the elites to unite and mobilize very diversified populations. The first English translation ofGenegrave;se des nations et cultures du Nouveau Monde, winner of a Governor General's Literary Award in 2000, this acclaimed book provides important insights for contemporary nations in crisis.

Table of Contents

Translators' Note; Preface 1 The Comparative History of New Collectivities and Founding Cultures; 2 Why Compare Oneself?; 3 A New Old Country? The Formation and Transformations of Culture and Nation in Quebec; 4 The Growth of National Consciousness in Mexico and Latin America; 5 Political Emancipation and National Identity in Australia; 6 Other Pathways: Canada, New Zealand, and the United States; 7 Collective Paths, Discursive Strategies: A Model; Conclusion Notes; Bibliography; Index