Introduction
The Canadian approach to establish its distinctive cultural environment has always been a major issue in Canada. The post-war period started the process of influence of the American ideology in Canada. However, as Americanization took wider spread through different countries in the world, this process in Canada might have been less affecting due to identical background. The cultural nationalism in Canada might have been raised by the anti-Americanism, but at the same time it lost its presumable factors afterward.
This paper analyses the movements and the efforts taken to protect the cultural nationalism in Canada, and providing the idea that the reasons for such actions were not limited to opposing the Americanization, or specifically cultural Americanization, additionally showing the state of the cultural US-Canada relations at this time.
Analysis
The Americanism always to some extent was a part of the Canadian national consciousness as modern Canada has arisen on the basis of denying the American model of social development. For Canadians, the anti-Americanism is characteristic as much as Franco-English dualism of the country which during two centuries was the basic pillar of national identity.1
The anti-Americanism was not as much of a phenomenon which had the objective reasons in fear of the American expansion, but more of a powerful propaganda instrument of the Canadian political and business elites used it for strengthening of their positions. Although to some extent at times their bias against the USA could be quite sincere and dictated fears for destiny of Canada.
The Canadian anti-Americanism can be defined as aversion and fear of the American actions in military, political, cultural and economic spheres which, being widespread among the population, usually are hidden if they are not maintained by business, political or cultural groups in the purposes During existence of British Empire the anti-Americanism served as the tool of stimulation of the pro-British moods among Canadians, and then, after achievement of the sovereignty by Canada, has lost its imperial painting, but has still remained means of restraint of economic, political and spiritual influence of the USA in Canada.
It is necessary for Canadians to develop the healthy nationalism constructed not on a phobia and search of politically convenient enemies, but on own positive values, on the best understanding of the country and the resources. The anti-Americanism as means of stimulation of the Canadian national spirit finally might has been settled, and business and the most part of political elite of the country completely send to positions continental view.
The strong awareness of the need to cultural distinction might have the need to protect the national culture from foreign influence but this influence hardly concerns the US. The American culture happens to be the most widespread in the whole world, so the question arises that the national attempts to limit cultural production have prejudice against Americanization as a content or as vastly spread production that overwhelms the national product. In content it is hard to believe that literature and art can be nationally distinctive between the US and Canada, and in that sense the French Canadians awareness to the American “threat” is more understandable.2
The important role in formation of the Canadian national consciousness and in opposition to the American masscult many decades plays the state television and radio broadcasting corporation (CBC, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation). With the purpose of preservation of national press, music and cinema the special state
committee watches volume of foreign publications and behind maintenance of reasonable balance of an announcement between external and internal mass-media. Some American magazines (Time, etc.) even published in the Canadian variant where the part of the maintenance is allocated for illumination of the Canadian internal questions. Accordingly the preservation of the balance means the a reasonable ratio of the Canadian and “foreign” production – which happens to be American, it should be admitted that it is the same in many countries, and pose a real threat if considered different cultural environment, history, background, and moral and religious values.
The obvious advantage and the real benefit would be to develop the Canadian cultural production to the limit which would be competitive by itself along the American production, as the ordinary citizens would be indifferent to the state battles and would be satisfied with the available quality production. It could be noted further that actually the elites were more concerned with this so called foreign invasion. In addition the lack of such competitive efforts could be originally considered as the reason the mass culture of the nearest neighbor being most popular to the masses.
The possibility for the Canadian cultural production to become world mass production is very high as the English language market is open, and the efforts taken to protect the Canadian market from outside could be used to promote the national product to possible consumers. “Selling production services to American producers is another growth area seized on by Canadian firms and workers who actively pursue these opportunities with assistance from government tax incentives.” 3
For ordinary Canadians, problems of the American domination in Canada’s culture simply do not exist, as in the economic and cultural plan Northern America for a long time already became single whole. Elections of 1988, have shown, that power of anti-Americanism is weakened by events and current of time, and it has kept the efficiency only in publications among a small number of intellectuals.”
The idea of getting the proper interest was achieved in encouraging the national production and it can be seen through the export revenues of the Canadian film industry. It could be followed that omitting the American factor, if Canada approach in raising the national cultural production, then after some time it will have its consumer and even get the demand to be exported. A survey of the top ten Canadian film and television producers in 1997/98 (which accounted for $647m or 58 percent of total production revenue for the industry) reported exports of $370.9m which was 58 percent of the total product revenue for these top ten producers.
During the ten years 1980/89, export revenues of the top ten were $54.4m and 27 percent of total production revenue. Compared to the cumulative total for ten years earlier, by 1997/98, export revenue for one year increased nearly 7 times in absolute terms and from 27 percent to 58 percent in relative terms for these top ten firms. Total production revenue increased over 3 times. 3
Conclusion
The anti-Americanism and the Canadian cultural nationalism must be separated as these terms if interfered with each other that were under the influence of elites and used mainly to promote political ideas. The Canadian cultural nationalism and government policies to protect and promote Canadian culture were attempting to enrich and develop distinctive cultural production to the absence of such, and the slogan to protect could be considered incorrect as the current Canadian production is exported and thus could be going in the same way of globalization. While producing and encouraging Canadian talents to produce competitive products that will interest the consumer is effective way to raise the cultural level of the citizens.
Works Cited
Maule, Christopher. “State of the Canada-U.S. Relationship: Culture.” American Review of Canadian Studies 33, no. 1 (2003).
Litt, Paul. “The Massey commission, Americanization & Canadian cultural nationalism” Queen’s quarterly 98,no.2,375-387,(1991).
Gwyn, Richard. “From Massey to masse: Cultural nationalism, 1957-1985” 133-148,ch 9 from The 49th Paradox: Canada in north America. Toronto: Totem books,(1986).
GRANATSTEIN ,J.L..”Yankee go home? Canadians and Anti-Americanism. TORONTO: HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS LTD., (1996)