Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on Feb. 24, 2010). The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file. Dr. Frank Thompson and Dr. Mickey Heitmeyer, Dissertation Supervisors. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

This thesis analyzes elements which contribute to the construction of the artistic identity of the Acadian rap artist Jacobus. Nowadays, many artists perform on the local and international stages from musical, social or linguistic margins. Their success is due to the democratization of production and music broadcasting tools. As this phenomenon becomes more and more common and popular, “marginal” artists and their communities blur the lines between the mainstream and the underground, by the means of performing in their vernacular and promoting these authentic language practices. Jacobus sings in Acadjonne, a variety of Acadian French spoken in la Baie Sainte-Marie, Nova Scotia. By singing in his vernacular, consciously or not, he claims his Acadian identity, as other artists do so with Chiac, another variety of Acadian French (for example, Lisa LeBlanc and Les Hay Babies). Jacobus, as other artists, claims and proclaims his Acadian identity while promoting his vernacular, which has provoked controversial discussions in the media. Through his songs, the artist destroys the stereotypes of rap music. At the same time, he transgresses the linguistics norms by choosing the linguistic minority over the proper, standard French. In this thesis, I analyze the songs from Jacobus’ two solo albums and various aspects of his songs that contribute to the construction of a “marginalized” and authentic artistic identity. This research shows that the artist’s linguistic practices and the fact that he brings the Acadjonne variety on the Québécois, Canadian or even global stages, contribute to the construction of his authentic identity, but also to the spreading of local varieties of French language, which goes against the linguistic imperialism of the ideology of the standard. This linguistic behaviour enhances the actual societal conversation about inclusion and diversity in Canada. / Graduate

No description available.

La littérature de l’Acadie du Sud-Est émerge dans un contexte lui-même déjà hétérolingue (Grutman). Le chiac porte d’ailleurs les traces de cette cohabitation linguistique puisque son caractère hybride traduit la forte interaction entre les communautés de la région. Or, son usage suscite-t-il une réflexion inquiète sur la situation diglossique du français acadien ou est-il strictement créatif ? Le présent mémoire porte sur le rapport à la langue dans les romans récents de France Daigle, soit Pas pire (1998), Un fin passage (2001), Petites difficultés d’existence (2002) et Pour sûr (2011), en mettant au jour les particularités sociolinguistiques et la façon dont le texte « parle la langue » (Gauvin). Bien qu’il mette à distance les présupposés idéologiques, l’œuvre de Daigle demeure extrêmement sensible au contexte socioculturel d’où il émerge. Ainsi, si l’œuvre s’affranchit d’un réalisme sociolinguistique, c’est afin de créer une « fiction linguistique » (Baetens Beardsmore) qui reconfigure l’imaginaire social de Moncton tout en intégrant certaines inquiétudes bien « réelles ». Qui plus est, la prise en compte de la polyphonie structurelle de l’œuvre permet de s’affranchir de la lecture ethnographique. / The literature of Southeast Acadie emerges in a context that is already heterolingual (Grutman). Chiac, the local vernacular, bears traces of this linguistic coexistence since its hybrid character reflects the strong interaction between the region’s communities. However, does its use arouses an anxious reflection on Moncton’s diglossic context or is it strictly creative? This thesis focuses on the relationship to language in the recent novels of France Daigle, Pas pire (1998), Un fin passage (2001), Petites difficultés d’existence (2002) and Pour sûr (2011), by uncovering sociolinguistic features and the way the text "speaks the language" (Gauvin). Although it puts away ideologies, Daigle's work remains highly sensitive to the cultural context from which it emerges. Thus, if the work is freed from a sociolinguistic realism, it is to create a "linguistic fiction" (Baetens Beardsmore) which reconfigures the social imaginary of Moncton while incorporating some "real" concerns. Moreover, taking into account the structural polyphony of the work overcomes the temptation of ethnographic reading.

On a small island in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence a distinct Francophone community has persisted for nearly three hundred years despite historical traumas and the pressures exerted by a majority Anglophone environment. The factors that have contributed to the persistence of this community are a matter of some debate, yet the cultural identity of the Acadians of Prince Edward Island in the twenty-first century appears to have remained intact. Contrary to a popular discourse of identity "revival," this distinct culture is neither a recent phenomenon nor is it something that is homogeneously pan-Acadian. While much popular and scholarly discourse on the Acadians centres on their tragic past and nationalist perspectives of Acadian identity construction, this dissertation focuses on how identity is created, perceived and expressed in a local context. Music plays a key role in articulating this local identity; it helps to create and maintain social relationships both within the community and with other cultural groups. The emergence of a distinct musical tradition has contributed substantially to the production and maintenance of cultural identity amongst these Island Acadians. Through case studies of specific performance contexts, individual musicians and professional groups, I examine current and ongoing processes of Acadian cultural definition and how musicians negotiate the dichotomy of traditional and modern performance contexts and forms of expression. I consider the musical alliances and exchanges that inform the experiences of these Islanders and how these intercultural encounters have influenced local musical practices and discourses about Acadian identity. My research demonstrates that contemporary cultural markers, and particularly music, are primary tools through which members of this invisible minority cultural group define and present their ethno-cultural identity both locally and to cultural outsiders.

On a small island in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence a distinct Francophone community has persisted for nearly three hundred years despite historical traumas and the pressures exerted by a majority Anglophone environment. The factors that have contributed to the persistence of this community are a matter of some debate, yet the cultural identity of the Acadians of Prince Edward Island in the twenty-first century appears to have remained intact. Contrary to a popular discourse of identity "revival," this distinct culture is neither a recent phenomenon nor is it something that is homogeneously pan-Acadian. While much popular and scholarly discourse on the Acadians centres on their tragic past and nationalist perspectives of Acadian identity construction, this dissertation focuses on how identity is created, perceived and expressed in a local context. Music plays a key role in articulating this local identity; it helps to create and maintain social relationships both within the community and with other cultural groups. The emergence of a distinct musical tradition has contributed substantially to the production and maintenance of cultural identity amongst these Island Acadians. Through case studies of specific performance contexts, individual musicians and professional groups, I examine current and ongoing processes of Acadian cultural definition and how musicians negotiate the dichotomy of traditional and modern performance contexts and forms of expression. I consider the musical alliances and exchanges that inform the experiences of these Islanders and how these intercultural encounters have influenced local musical practices and discourses about Acadian identity. My research demonstrates that contemporary cultural markers, and particularly music, are primary tools through which members of this invisible minority cultural group define and present their ethno-cultural identity both locally and to cultural outsiders.

The majority of the world’s population now lives in urban areas, and the peri-urban has grown simultaneously, creating new Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) where development comes into contact – and intermingles with – wildlands. WUI has an elevated wildfire risk. This study examines current and future wildfire risk in the Acadian Forest Region, and consists of two papers. The first manuscript of this thesis describes a model to delineate WUI at a site-scale for municipal risk management, using fire behaviour modelling. The second manuscript uses climate and fire behaviour modelling, projecting an increase in fire weather severity in the Acadian Forest Region under climate change, indicating increased future fire susceptibility. Shifts in tree species composition may offset this risk, as tree species become a negative fire risk driver. The relative importance of fire risk drivers was solicited from experts to assess the net impact on fire risk. Together these papers identify an increasing fire risk in the region under climate change, depending on site-level tree species composition dynamics, and an opportunity for municipal management of fire risk. Delineation of WUI and risk management are necessary, given increasing future fire risk and uncertainty under climate change.

La déportation des Acadiens de leurs terres en 1755 est un évènement sur lequel se fonde cette communauté. Le Grand Dérangement, comme on l’appelle fréquemment, n’est pas un simple évènement historique. Il aura passé de l’histoire à la mémoire et de la mémoire au mythe. Élevé officiellement au rang de mythe fondateur lors de la première Convention nationale acadienne de 1881, le Grand Dérangement subira par la suite de nombreuses réinterprétations dans les discours politiques. Reprenant la théorie de Gérard Bouchard sur les mythes et les imaginaires collectifs, cette thèse vise à comprendre quelles ont été les interprétations historiques du mythe du Grand Dérangement dans le discours national des élites acadiennes entre 1763 et 2005. Retourner au mythe, c’est retourner à l’imaginaire d’un peuple et de son importance dans ses processus de conciliation des conflits. L’objectif est donc de comprendre les nombreuses réinterprétations du Grand Dérangement issues des discours des élites politiques acadiennes, mais aussi de démontrer le rôle structurant du mythe dans la construction de l’identité acadienne. The expulsion of the Acadians from their land in 1755 is an event which defined this community. The “Grand Dérangement”, or Great Upheaval, long ago made the passage from historical event to collective memory and from collective memory to myth. Officially raised to the level of a founding myth during the first Acadian National Convention of 1881, the Great Upheaval has been subject to several political reinterpretations. Using Gérard Bouchard’s theory of collective myths and imaginaries, this thesis aims to understand the historical reinterpretations of the Great Upheaval myth within the Acadian elite national discourse between 1763 and 2005. To appreciate the power of the myth is to appreciate the power of a people’s imagination and its potential for resolving conflict. The objective of this thesis is to understand the many reinterpretations of the Great Upheaval through the Acadian elite political discourses, and also to demonstrate the role of the myth in constructing the Acadian identity.

No description available.

La déportation des Acadiens de leurs terres en 1755 est un évènement sur lequel se fonde cette communauté. Le Grand Dérangement, comme on l’appelle fréquemment, n’est pas un simple évènement historique. Il aura passé de l’histoire à la mémoire et de la mémoire au mythe. Élevé officiellement au rang de mythe fondateur lors de la première Convention nationale acadienne de 1881, le Grand Dérangement subira par la suite de nombreuses réinterprétations dans les discours politiques. Reprenant la théorie de Gérard Bouchard sur les mythes et les imaginaires collectifs, cette thèse vise à comprendre quelles ont été les interprétations historiques du mythe du Grand Dérangement dans le discours national des élites acadiennes entre 1763 et 2005. Retourner au mythe, c’est retourner à l’imaginaire d’un peuple et de son importance dans ses processus de conciliation des conflits. L’objectif est donc de comprendre les nombreuses réinterprétations du Grand Dérangement issues des discours des élites politiques acadiennes, mais aussi de démontrer le rôle structurant du mythe dans la construction de l’identité acadienne. The expulsion of the Acadians from their land in 1755 is an event which defined this community. The “Grand Dérangement”, or Great Upheaval, long ago made the passage from historical event to collective memory and from collective memory to myth. Officially raised to the level of a founding myth during the first Acadian National Convention of 1881, the Great Upheaval has been subject to several political reinterpretations. Using Gérard Bouchard’s theory of collective myths and imaginaries, this thesis aims to understand the historical reinterpretations of the Great Upheaval myth within the Acadian elite national discourse between 1763 and 2005. To appreciate the power of the myth is to appreciate the power of a people’s imagination and its potential for resolving conflict. The objective of this thesis is to understand the many reinterpretations of the Great Upheaval through the Acadian elite political discourses, and also to demonstrate the role of the myth in constructing the Acadian identity.