Canadian Society

Question 1

materalism

Answer 1

Geography shapes population, which shapes material culture (technology), which shapes culture, economy, and governance

Question 2

macro-analysis

Answer 2

• Focuses not on individuals but on the entire society as a whole
• Helps us to see society at a general level
• Pays attention to the structural features that provide framework of how everyday lives are shaped
• A study of social phenomenon in terms of societal wide aggregate measures

Question 3

aggregate measures

Answer 3

• Population dynamics (distrubution, composition, immigration, etc.)
• Levels of inequality (income distribution, earning between groups, etc.)
• Social institutions (economy – unemployment rate; family – divorce rate)
• Relationships with other countries (foreign ownership, cultural penetration, etc.)

Question 4

what should you think about when you see a map of Canada?

Answer 4

the resources each place offers

Question 5

3 levels of Canadian government

Answer 5

• federal (ex. responsible for census)
• provincial (ex. responsible for healthcare)
• municipal (ex. responsible for public transportation)

Question 6

Canada’s distinct features

Answer 6

• Large surface and relative small population (H)
• Uneven distribution of the population (H)
• Group dynamics which involve immigrants and the indigenous population -> We share this characteristic with other nations (ex. Australia)
• A country with two official languages
• A young nation
• Central Canadian dominance (H)
• Low identity (H)
• Unique values (H)

Question 7

consequences of our distinct features

Answer 7

• Need people and capital
• Population and culture in flux (external influence)
• Identity issues – national hood?

Question 8

large land surface and relatively small population

Answer 8

• very few countries have such large land size yet such small population (low population density) -> makes Canada unique
• similar population density as Australia
• low population density = shortage of labour

Question 9

uneven distribution of population

Answer 9

• “regionalization” -> certain regions are better-equipped than others (Ex. Some places in BC with low population have low-quality drinking water)
• many people live in larger cities (ex. “Golden triangle”) with less living in the North
• similar to the distribution of Australia’s population -> both populations clustered in the South where temperatures are less extreme, with the North largely uninhabited
• political and economic power concentrated in regions with more people

Question 10

Central Canadian dominance

Answer 10

• growth has continued to happen in places of old industrial importance (ie. southern Ontario)
• Although the population has slowly redistributed to the West as well, there is no indication of a shift of power from Central Canada to the West
• This can be kind of compared to the US, however the population redistributed so much there that there has been a shift of power

Question 11

Low identity (and unique values)

Answer 11

• Canadians can’t really say how they’re different than Americans
• historically, Canadian frontiers represented empire controls rather than revolution and independence, which created a different foundation for Canadian vs. American society -> this counter-revolutionary tradition of Canada makes it more traditional, conservative, and collectivity-oriented
• more elitist because it’s still connected to the Crown (ascribed status and more hardened class structure)