History of Canada. A General View

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Thomas Welskopp (†)
• Subject Area: Modern and Contemporary History ; African, American and Oceania Studies ; Social and Cultural Anthropology and Ethnology ; Early Modern History
• Term: from 2014 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 257865775

Aim of this project of research is a general outline of the history of Canada.. This new Synthesis shall be in the focus of the project work; nevertheless the general theme will be flanked by thematically more narrow detailed studies (essays).My project does not aim to a more conventional political history, but will go beyond this. A political history of nationalities has of course its priority, but my intention is a reflected history that accommodates the peculiarities Canada's and its history. As the explication of my leading questions shows, the history of Canada has to follow other particularities than the histories of Ireland or South Africa.Targets of this history of Canada still to have been written are 'Bildungsbürger', canadists and also historians that might be less interested in the fluctuating Canadian history itself but in the theoretical reflections of the project, that will be go beyond the Canadian history strictly speaking.The leading questions are connected by manifold perspectives; partly the different aspects overlap (in the following as points):(1) the contrast between nature and civilisation; the history of discovery Canada's; the superabundant natural ressources; its use and the utilization; the consequences for economy ands society; the permanent explanation with the geographic and climatic conditions.(2) the history Canada's as a transnational history: the successive colonialization of the population; the history of colonization and settlement;(3) the history Canada's as transcultural history: the changing relationship of aboriginals (Indians, so-called Métis as Inuit) on one side and the "explorers" (colonisatoren) and the immigrants on the other side;(4) the successive formation of national political independence;(5) the antagonism between french respective french-speaking culture on the one hand and english respective english-speaking cultur on the other; bilingualism and the problems of languages; Quebec as an exceptional case: the questian of nationality;(6) the relationship between centres and provinces; the precarious proportion of provinces trying to enforce particular interests and the federal government;(7) the history of Canadian society and its shaping by antagonism and ethical affiliations and appropriations;(8) problems resulting from the specificity Canada's as a country of Immigration; the ethic multiculturalism;(9) the relationship or rather the dependence from Europe, especially from Great Britain;(10) the complex (economic, political, cultural) relationship to its southern neighbour, the USA;(11) the position Canada's in the global Society, the specific of Canadian foreign policy and diplomacy.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants