Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Political Science

Faculty/School

Faculty of Arts

First Advisor

John Redekop

Advisor Role

Thesis Supervisor

Abstract

Relative to other countries, such as the United States, there exists little scholarly work on minority groups in Canada. Aside from filling a natural academic void, minority studies are especially relevant because of this country’s multi-ethnic composition. In particular, this study attempts to examine certain attitudes found within the press of one minority group—Jewish Canadians.

Canada’s Jewish community has not hesitated to involve itself in almost all aspects of Canadian society—academia, science, politics, etc. It has also not hesitated to comment through its own press, on the urgent political issues of the day. In this study I will focus on one such issue: the civil rights of minority groups during the years 1930–1970.

Given the extensive changes which have occurred in Canadian society during this period, one might expect to find inconsistencies or reversals of opinion and attitude within individual publications. One might also expect, given the highly regionalized Canadian character, to find differences among the press itself. The evidence suggests, however, the contrary: Canada’s Anglo-Jewish press (publications written in English) has a consistent record, with certain exceptions, of support for the civil rights movement of other minority groups in Canada. This support, to a great extent, stems from the factors of political expediency and, more importantly, Judaic traditions. In demonstrating such support, the Anglo-Jewish press was expressing an attitude towards justice which had been developed and articulated in early Judaic writings.

The purpose of this study, then, is first, to describe the attitudes of the Anglo-Jewish press in Canada concerning the civil rights of Canadian minority groups, and second, to analyze these attitudes while emphasizing the factors of Judaic tradition and political expediency.

Convocation Year

1979

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