Culture
1986

Bartels, Dennis and Alice Bartels. Soviet Policy toward Siberian Native People: Integration, Assimilation of Russification? Culture, 1986. 1(2): 15-32.

In this article, the authors challenge the concepts of structural integration, cultural integration, assimilation and "Russification" used by North American social scientists to address Soviet nationalist policies towards Siberian Native people. They are concerned that these do not adequately describe the results of the government's policies. The study focuses on the data collected on various aspects of the lives of "58 Siberian Native academics, professionals, students," and their respective families. This data collected by the authors was then further supplemented by research gathered from other academic researchers in both Russia and North America. Their data is displayed in statistical and descriptive tables throughout the paper to support each argument they present.

The paper is divided into sections under each of the terms they wish to challenge. The first section of the article deals with the concepts of structural and cultural integration. The occupation, political power and choice of nationality are used to support the author's claim that these terms do not represent the results of Soviet policy. They argue that Native people have retained traditional occupations while being integrated into the country's economic structure. The researchers also show that in either traditional or non-traditional occupations, most Native people have choices and retained cultural customs. They also argue that Native people have choices in the system because many hold political positions. The Natives are shown to be integrated socially as well, with many inter-marriages with non-Natives. The children of these people choose their nationality at age sixteen, with many retaining Native status to retain Native privileges. They believe this demonstrates that many Natives have choices and power over many aspects of their lives. They discuss that although it seems that on the surface the Natives been integrated structural and not culturally, if one considers that many things that are "new" for the Natives are also "new" for non-Natives, including Russians, then it's not possible to define the characteristic result of Soviet policy toward only Native people with these terms.

The following sections then tackles the terms "Russification" and assimilation. "Russification" is defined as the apparent forcing of Soviet language and culture on the Siberian Native people. The authors show that this is simply not the case because not only are the government's policies aiming to retain Native languages, but many natives are of the same economic and social status as non-natives, and have power in policy development. The concept of assimilation was explained as the loss of traditional culture from incorporation into the dominant culture. The evidence shows that is not that true with the Siberian Native Culture. While they have lost some traditional elements of their culture they have retained many important ones including occupations and language; as well as gaining increasing diversity and opportunities in Soviet society.

They conclude their paper by discussing that new concepts must be found, that would better reflect how the Siberian Native people have maintained their cultural traditions while becoming integrated into Soviet institutions. The concepts of consolidation and integration are discussed as possible terms that better reflect Soviet state policy.

CLARITY: 5

ANDREA BUSSMANN York University (Maggie MacDonald).

Dyck, Noel. Negotiating The Indian Problem. Culture, 1986. Vol.1: 31-42.

Noel Dycks essay explores the nature of public problems and perception. The author focuses on how the `problematic', in this case the `Indian', are perceived by the general society specifically Euro-Western Canada. Dyck charges that Western Canadians for the most part are not well advised as to what the concerns of the `Indians' are. This ignorance of the issue marks the interaction of the Indians and Non-Indians and hinders solutions being found and addressed. The method of communication used to enlighten the general Western Canadian public has to be addressed Dyck insists.

According to Dyck the claims of the Indian people are pursed primarily in spheres that most Canadians are not well versed in. These are specialized legal, political and administrative channels. However the publicizing of Indian issues has increased, this leaves the Euro-Canadian public with opinions of Indians based on very little substantive information. Dyck believes that a way to combat this type of opinionated ignorance is through a method used by John R. McLeod a Cree friend of his. By using stories from his past to illustrate the realities of being an `Indian' McLeod was able to display the ways in which being an `Indian' was disparate from being European in the same country. This method of discourse achieved the task of educating and presenting the `Indians' case not as an argument but a human story.

McLeods public acts of remembering succeeded not only in educating the listener but allowing them to draw their own conclusions and leave them seeking more information.

Dyck contrasts this with the aggressive political elocution presented by some Indian spokesmen, which he feels serve to antagonize and distance the listener. Using the reactions of audiences from both methods Dyck argues that McLeods public remembering is preferable in attempting to address the true `Indian' problem as well as its perception among the Euro-Western Canadians.

CLARITY: 4

CHIMU TITI York University (Maggie MacDonald).

Gartrell, Beverley. `Colonialism' and the Fourth World: Notes on Variations in Colonial Situations. Culture, 1986. 6(1): 3-18.

This article addresses the problems that are created through the use of `colonial' terms in the social sciences. The author argues that colonial terms tend to place many different situations under one category, which ignores crucial differences. The article offers a way of distinguishing between various colonial experiences with a more detailed classification system. Specifically, the writer insists that the terms `internal colonialism', `welfare colonialism' and `fourth world' blend together diverse situations which creates confusion. The article seeks to clarify these labels by describing the varying histories of colonized places to illustrate how different terms may better allow for obvious differences in colonial experiences.

The author suggests a typology that differentiates between various aspects of colonialism, including the ideologies and tactics used to subdue the colonized and control the land and labour, the population size of the colony, and the sources of labour that were available. The author describes a brief history of colonialism in many nations to reveal the profound differences. The article also examines the process of decolonization and suggests that the term presently used to describe this process i.e. `internal colonialism' is problematic because it disregards significant facts, such as how population ratios differed and the ways that resources, land use and state organizations varied. The author insists that `welfare colonialism' cannot be understood within a narrowly constructed internal colony framework because it ignores class relations.

Finally, the author examines the changes in social science terminology and argues that the changes occurred as a result of the differing colonial ideologies noted in the previous section. It is emphasized that the terms focus on similarities; however, differences need to be highlighted as well. The labels `internal colonialism' and `Fourth World' are based on ethnicity; they ignore class differences and power struggles. The author states that the problems with the terms are also the result of differing viewpoints regarding the classification of various colonial situations.

The article insists that we need a detailed framework that emphasizes both similarities as well as obvious differences in the colonial experience because the process of classification has the important effect of shaping the perceptions others have of the groups we examine.

CLARITY: 4

GARY STRANG York University (Maggie MacDonald).

Kallen, Evelyn. In and Out of the Homosexual Closet: Gay/Lesbian Liberation in Canada. Culture, 1986. VI (2): 49-64.

The author Evelyn Kallen has presents an article on the process of the gay/lesbian movement in Canada. Throughout the article Kallen goes through the different steps /process that a homosexual individual experiences from being recognized as a stigmatized minority group through to the results and the continued battle for legislative change in Canada.

Kallen begins with a theoretical overview, a basic outline of what is going to be presented in the upcoming pages. Continuing on she begins with a brief history on the origin of the word homosexual and how it came to be recognized as a word associated with deviant behaviour, illness, abnormalities as well as the homophobia and discrimination encountered by these individuals. The article proceeds to the individual bearing the secret of homosexuality for fear of condemnation by society, unwilling to be stigmatized and stereotyped.

This is the beginning of leading a double-life: one being a heterosexual presentation for work, friends and family who are unaware and the other a presentation of the true homosexual identity. In seeking this, gay/lesbians search for a support system within self-help organized groups and the homosexual sub-culture. This brings on the ‘coming out’ process in which the individual begin to disclose their identity. It is a process in which Kallen describes in depth. At this point the transformation has begun from a closet individual, to an open and willing group that wants to fight for equal rights. The final stage in the process is to have the term homosexual de-stigmatized and seen as an identity versus only seen as a sexual act. The author ends with an accurate overview of the gay and lesbian liberation movement through the decades beginning from the 1950’s to the 1980’s.

The author demonstrates the entire process with subheadings and several charts to clearly define each section. This keeps the different stages in the homosexual liberation movement well organized which creates an article that is easy to read.

CLARITY: 5

FRANCA SEBASTA York University (Maggie MacDonald).

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