Canadian Social History

Introduction

The end of World War I signaled a return to the status quo in society. While many individuals returned from war disillusioned, the social structures remained largely intact. On the other hand, World War II proved to be a catalyst that ushered in a new and largely different era in Canadian society.

Historiography

Social historians interested in wartime experience as a lens through which to study the way societies react during times of stress. The demands of war strain the fabric of society, exposing ethnic, racial, class, and gender relations.

Doug Owram, Born at the Right Time – explores baby boom

Theories

So why was World War II such a catalyst for change?

Linking the war to the establishment of a social security system encouraged Canadians to believe that, while tremendous sacrifices were made, they were not made in vain.

Creation of a new role for government.

Controversies

Was post World War II society uniformly prosperous, conservative, and conformist?

Sources and methods

Different approaches to analyzing Canadian society post World War II – consumer, baby boom, immigrant.

Economic – wage rates.

Government involvement.

Events and incidents

Many Canadians concurred with the Prime Minister, Mackenzie King, that a “new world order” could be created from the ashes of World War II. The Prime Minister noted in a speech in 1942: “men who have fought in this war, and others who have borne its privations and suffering, will never be satisfied with a return to the conditions that prevailed before 1939.”

Expanding social security benefits, implementation of a national unemployment scheme and a family allowance program – creation of a “welfare state.”

1940 Unemployment Insurance Act passed

Conclusion

With change we see continuity, and with continuity we see change. The era is one of transition. The events that informed Canada post World War II had origins in the thirty years post World War I.