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The migration of Scots to Québec : Montreal's Scottish public community and the formation of identities, from the 18th to the 21st century

This study examines Scottish migration to Quebec and more particularly to Montreal.  It studies the public community the Montrealers of Scottish origin or heritage have developed, focusing on members of Scottish associations and interest-based groups and examining how their identities have been shaped in the city, from the eighteenth century to the present day.  Using historical and anthropological concepts, methods and sources, it places Scots within the history and anthropology of the city and of the province, and examines the distinctive case of Quebec within the wider Canadian Scottish diaspora. The thesis first examines Scottish migration to Quebec and to Montreal between the eighteenth and the late twentieth century by studying the push and pull factors involved, and by exploring Scottish migration at both ends of the migration process.  A key finding is that, in the Canadian context, Quebec and Montreal have attracted an atypical type of Scottish migrant; semi-skilled, and skilled workers of urban, industrial Lowland origin. The thesis then examines key Scottish associations of the city.  Firstly, it focuses on the Saint Andrew’s Society, founded by Montreal’s Scottish elite, which aimed to establish rules to guide the rest of the Scottish population in the city, to create a strong community and, ultimately, to disseminate its values and ideas within the host society.  Secondly, the thesis examines the Sons of Scotland Benevolent Association, arguing that, by the turn of the twentieth century, Scottish workers had gained their autonomy from the elite and had developed their own socio-cultural institutions and modes of charitable support and assistance. The last part of the thesis examines the identities of members of the contemporary Scottish public community of Montreal.  It discusses the main factors that contribute to the social and cultural shaping of these people’s identities.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:531850
Date January 2010
CreatorsBourbeau, Catherine
PublisherUniversity of Aberdeen
Source SetsEthos UK
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation
Sourcehttp://digitool.abdn.ac.uk:80/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=158356

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