LE3 .A278 2011

2011

Brittain, James

Acadia University

Bachelor of Arts

Honours

Sociology

Sociology

In this thesis I examine the societal conditions and circumstances facing a particular subsector of New Brunswick-based French minorities – specifically the Acadian communities in the context of the province‟s contemporary reality. For this study I look at shifts in the social, economic, and cultural life of Acadians, which directly and indirectly impact the dynamic of our collective and individual identity. To do so I investigate the socioeconomic condition leading to migration flows of Acadians from northern to southern New Brunswick (and outside of the province), inter-provincial flights of social capital, and the societal affects of state policy toward bilingual communities in contemporary New Brunswick. Moving beyond issues of political economy, I also investigate what defines an individual as Acadian in today‟s society. Is Acadian identity simply a matter of language or is it more an issue of culture and being?

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:777