Million acre identity: The endurance of complex traditionalism in Prince Edward Island's political culture

This thesis examines the contours of Prince Edward Island's political culture in five eras of provincial politics since the Second World War in order to evaluate the endurance of traditionalism in the face of significant socio-economic, demographic, and political change. The primary focus is on how political elites and ordinary Islanders have responded to specific crises that challenged the province's traditional way of life, with the understanding that articulated threats bring normally subconscious assumptions about the political sphere and collective self-image to the surface. Despite the complexities engendered by an emerging rural/urban tension in provincial politics, this thesis concludes that traditionalism continues to be a defining characteristic of the Island's dominant political culture.