The New Face of Quebec Nationalism: Reconsidering the Nationalism/Democracy Nexus

Abstract

ABSTRACT Although nationalism remains a significant motif of Quebec politics, it no longer has the same texture, the same purpose, or the same spirit it once had. What accounts for this change? And what should we make of it? This article proposes a critical reflection to gauge whether the nationalism/democracy nexus at the heart of much of the literature on nationalism still defines and characterizes contemporary Quebec nationalism. The article examines the reasons why today’s mainstream Quebec nationalism sets itself apart from the motivations that informed its earlier expressions and unequivocal stance against the Canadian state, assesses current Quebec nationalism in light of the democratizing impetus that nationalism is usually said to embody and nurture, and offers some critical thoughts on the analytical limits of the nationalism/democracy nexus for our understanding of the historicity of Quebec nationalism.