I've been unsatistifed with the takes I've read on Canadian nationalism lately. Its something I think an awful lot about, so I wrote seven short essays on culture, identity and how there can be no nationalism with out a national project. noraloreto.substack.com/p/what-canad... - ThreadSky

nolore.bsky.social • 24 days ago

I've been unsatistifed with the takes I've read on Canadian nationalism lately. Its something I think an awful lot about, so I wrote seven short essays on culture, identity and how there can be no nationalism with out a national project.

https://noraloreto.substack.com/p/what-canadian-nationalism

Comments

nolore.bsky.social•24 days ago

When I was in Grade 11, I spent a week at a program at Queen's where we were able to take a week-long course organized by grad students in anything we wanted.

I chose The Manufacture of Canadian Identity.

If you were one of the grad students who ran that class, thank you!!

barrhavenist.bsky.social•24 days ago

ugh a week in Kingston though

aroun.bsky.social•24 days ago

It’s fine if you can avoid the skinheads

noizangel.bsky.social•24 days ago

have you read maurice charland's technological nationalism? it's a paper - i think you'd like it, could send it to the pod address if you want!

nolore.bsky.social•24 days ago

Yes i would very much want this :)

noizangel.bsky.social•24 days ago

i will pass it on! read it like... 15 or so yrs ago in my 2nd or 3rd pass at undergrad and it stuck with me for long enough to write a grad paper last year about Canadian identity, tech nationalism, and survelliance. it's really interesting (and uses Innis not McLuhan so clearly cooler)

weightedcompcube.bsky.social•24 days ago

I read these yesterday and I can't stop thinking about it. I agree, so much of our national identity seems to be tied up in "well we're not American"... I used to think being Canadian was cold weather, hockey, silly kids PSA songs, and Mr. Dressup. But maybe that was just nostalgia vs identity.

nolore.bsky.social•24 days ago

Nostalgia is a big part of identity! Glad the essay's got you thinking :)

wallybuan0.bsky.social•24 days ago

Nostalgia so thick you have to brush it away from your face

It’s in this sense that I think hockey *does* have a place in what passes for Canadian identity…

reidangela.bsky.social•24 days ago

I don’t because it excludes women.

wallybuan0.bsky.social•24 days ago

Inasmuch as pro sports always did (and still does), sure. But that’s a lot less true now than when we were kids.

Anyway, nostalgia is always informed, if not exactly constrained, by history. So these memories are always gonna have a high level of straight white male content.

wallybuan0.bsky.social•24 days ago

(“History” as written by the same white guys, of course)

reidangela.bsky.social•24 days ago

I’m almost 60 women my age don’t share hockey memories except the stories we heard. If it doesn’t include almost 1/2 the population it’s not part of our culture. I agree it’s changing but not there yet.

socialinjust.bsky.social•24 days ago

This is my fave! So many thoughts, like what DID happen to all those clubs like "Daughters of {insert religious name}". They helped out their communities, volunteered, raised money. Also, this: "Indeed, try performing femininity without also having to pay for it", side note, but poetic.

socialinjust.bsky.social•24 days ago

Like these (super white, I know): https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Association_of_Rebekah_Assemblies

https://www.elksofcanada.ca/history

standingroomonly.bsky.social•24 days ago

I was a nationalist when I was young. Now nationalism is synecdoche for family and home snd values

thesaanichdaily.bsky.social•24 days ago

National project? Sorry, best we can do is a pipeline that helps privately owned oil companies export our resources.

kittybitty042.bsky.social•24 days ago

I brought up this in a class discussion once on cultural appropriation as a reason why white folks might appropriate other cultures traditions. We are trying to fill a void and connect with people of a similar background that white supremacy and colonization sought to destroy.

brewsd.bsky.social•23 days ago

Not sure I understand the point about white culture (?)

Maybe I’m from a generation that leaned into Canadian culture heavily. Or lucky enough to have an education system that discussed Canadian culture, but feel there’s a lot more than Tim’s and hockey.

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