The Canadian francophonie: a treasure to be discovered
Not surprisingly, the mere fact that they are a minority has a significant impact on shaping the identity of Francophone communities outside Québec and on the way they view the world. This complexity and the substantial contributions Francophones have made to Canada's development, both today and in years past, have sparked the interest of researchers.
Geneviève Richer (PhD candidate in history), Tina Desabrais (PhD candidate in education), Emir Delic (PhD candidate in French literature) and Marie Lefebvre (PhD candidate in geography) are some of the enthusiastic academics who would like to ensure minority communities get the attention they deserve.
Their work recently earned these students four of the eight scholarships in support of field research on minority Francophone communities in Canada offered by the Association des universités de la francophonie canadienne. These scholarships, valued at $7,500 each, will allow these students to conduct documentary research, do field observations and interview members of the communities they are studying.
The very different paths of these students have at least two things in common: firsthand experience with life in a minority setting and a desire to study in an environment where they have access to the professors and resources they need in order to do their research.
"I decided to study at the University of Ottawa because it is a leader in the field of Canadian Francophonie studies. The specialists we have in this field make for a stimulating, unique and dynamic environment in a variety of disciplines," says Geneviève Richer.
The variety in the research topics of these four scholarship recipients highlights the richness of minority Francophone communities as a topic of research. From the construction of ‘otherness' in Franco-Ontarian literature to the role of celebrations in Acadian culture, from the educational choices of minority Francophones to the intellectual and political contributions of Franco-Ontarian Napoléon-Antoine Belcourt, each student shines a light on different aspects of the Francophone experience.
By Sophie Coupal
Published: September 2009