The French Enigma: Survival and Development in Canada's Francophone Societies

Franзois Boudreau is a professor of sociology at Laurentian University
in Sudbury.

The French Enigma studies the characteristics of, and challenges facing,
contemporary Canadian francophone societies (first- and second-language
francophones make up more than 30 percent of Canada’s population). The
strengths and chances of survival of various francophone communities in
Canada are assessed using criteria based on aspects of everyday life:
community structure and volunteering, education and universities,
language and culture, exogamous marriages, and assimilation.

The book is divided into four parts. “Present and Past” defines
what constitutes a francophone in historical perspective and
distinguishes the main areas of settlement. “Majority Societies”
presents the main characteristics of Quebec and Acadia, and discusses
some of the most important issues theses societies face. “Minority
Societies” does the same with francophones in Newfoundland, Ontario,
and Western Canada. “The Future” considers the effects of
globalization on francophone societies. The main threat to francophone
societies, the book makes clear, remains assimilation (resulting mainly
from exogamous marriage and the pressure of American mass culture).

Overall, the book reads well and is a pleasant account. The author’s
interpretations of the problems confronting francophones in Canada tend
to be overly optimistic, however. An example of the author’s wishful
thinking is his insistence on the strength of the language “because
people speak it at home.”