Language, Schooling, and Cultural Conflict: The Origins of the French-Language Controversy in Ontario

HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF Bilingualism was at the heart of controversy in Ontario politics one hundred years ago when Anglophones burned effigies of Louis Riel and Francophones hanged flaming images of John A. Macdonald. Strong public reaction to Bill 8 made bilingualism one of the most pressing issues in the 1987 provincial election campaign. Now available in paperback, Language, Schooling and Cultural Conflict recasts this central debate of Canadian history and calls into question both the theory and method of established studies in cultural conflict and ethnic identity. The book thus provides a very dramatic example of how recent research strategies can benefit our understanding of Canadian history and cultural affairs.