Christine Dallaire & Jean Harvey – University of Ottawa
Français
This comparative research focuses on Francophone minority and majority identities emulated by youth participating in Canada’s Francophone and Quebec Games. 1) It begins with a study of discourse on Francophone identities at the Games. The Fédération de la jeunesse canadienne-française (FJCF) created the Jeux de la francophonie canadienne to instil a sense of belonging among Francophone youth and thus counter the growth of language transfer and support the development of minority communities. These Games gather adolescents from Francophone minority communities, as well as young Quebec athletes. How do they define “Francophone” in a gathering that includes youth from minority communities as well as from a majority community that controls a provincial government? The Jeux du Québec fall under Quebec’s policy on sports and recreation and help build a distinct cultural identity, that of the “Quebec nation.” Do these Games, held solely in French, promote a cultural or linguistic and civic identity of the Quebec nation? The analysis will also cover the federal and Quebec governments, which support and finance these Games for reasons of identity building and sport development. Lastly, the study will cover youth discourse on identity. Is theirs a reflection of prevailing discourse or do they define themselves differently? How are the identities of Francophone minority youth linked to Quebec youth at the Jeux de la francophonie canadienne? 2) The study also covers the convergence of discourse on identity and on sport. To what extent do sports promote the reflection of Francophone identities at these Games? The proposed research will address the complementarity or conflictual linkage between the Games’ sports and identity goals. 3) The third objective of this research is to evaluate the benefits that youth claim to derive from their participation in the Games. What benefits do they think they derive from the Games? Do the Games spur their Francophone pride? Do they benefit in a particular way from the gathering and sociability of youth? Do the Games improve their sports performance or encourage the practice of sports?
This study is a continuation of the work undertaken to answer the question “Who is a Francophone?” It will also assess the benefits that youth derive from their participation in the Games. It will examine their motivation as well as their experience in the Games. The analysis will lead to an assessment of the benefits for the participants as well as the contribution of the Games to the promotion of sports. These results will be useful to organizers in improving the organization of the Games. They will be used by decision-makers and policy-makers to better understand and consider the various dimensions of the impact of youth participation in the Games. This project will thus contribute to the study of sports and identity policies, as it approaches the issue from a new angle by focussing on the identities emulated by youth in these political contexts.
This comparative study focuses on majority and minority francophone identities being
reproduced by youth participating in the Jeux de la francophonie (JCF) and the Jeux du
Québec. 1) First, the goal is to study discourses on francophone identities present during the
Games. The Fédération de la jeunesse canadienne-française (FJCF) created the JCF in order
to foster francophone belonging among youth and, as a result, to reverse the growing trend of
French-to-English linguistic transfer, a well as to support the development of minority communities. Further, the Jeux du Québec emanates from the Quebec leisure and sport policy
and therefore participates in the construction of a distinct cultural identity - that of the Québec
nation. 2) Second, the study focuses on the intersection between the discourses of identity
and sport. Here, the purpose is to study how the tensions between identity and sport goals are
played out. 3) The third objective of this research is to assess the benefits that youth state they are acquiring from their participation in the Games.
The methodology draws from several data collection methods. First, documentary analyses as
well as interviews with the Games, government and sport authorities will be conducted to
document the goals and the strategies set for these Games. Second, an ethnographic study will
be conducted during the Games. A survey questionnaire and group interviews with participants
will also provide data on the experiences of participants.
The study will allow for an evaluation of the benefits youth receive from participating in the
games. The results will be useful to organizers to improve Games delivery and to better
understand the impact of the Games on youth. It will also contribute to the study of sport and
identity policies.
SCRI 2007 Presentation Slides
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