Essay Sample on Social Reform: A Movement for Change in Canada

Introduction

The social reform movement was established by individuals who wanted to better the lives of Canadians. It was established in response to the economic and social challenges that were created by industrialization and urbanization (Smith, 2014). Some of the problems faced by Canadians include poverty, homelessness, disease, pollution, child labor, as well as alcoholism. It was based on the slogan of evolutionary science that there was a need for change, and it was possible to instill change. The need for social reform movement was spurred by the growing number of the middle class. Many viewed the reform with the intent to turn Canada into a British nation, while for French Canadians, the reforms meant creating bi-cultural catholic in Quebec.

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Canadian Social Reformers

The social reformists in Canada were Barnabas, William and Robert Baldwin, Marshall Bidwell, William Lyon Mackenzie, Egerton Ryerson as well as John Rolph. In 1828, the reformers held a meeting in the assembly, but their reforms were blocked by the councils, which were controlled by the Tory. The movement split in the 1830s, with the moderates being led by Robert Baldwin (Smith, 2014). They were committed to limit the power of the ruling, were in power, and introduce a government that would be responsible. The radical reformers formed the second group. They advocated republican principles in the colony. The reformers were led by John Arthur Roebuck and Charles Duncombe, who were determined to create economic and social democracy. Such democracy was witnessed in countries such as the United States of America.

The reformers also advocated for colonial independence. Mackenzie believed that a violent revolution would achieve the goals of the movement. In 1836, Baldwin's proposal for a responsible government was opposed, and the moderates were not involved in the political process. On the other hand, the Mackenzie group was defeated in the 1837-1838 revolution (Smith, 2014). The moderates reemerged and controlled the political process in the Canadian province.

Contributions Made by the Social Reformers

The Canadian social reformers played a role in improving the following areas:

Urban Reform

The reformers contributed to improving housing so that the people would live happier and healthier. The reformers advocated for better sanitation as well as building codes (Smith, 2014). They also proposed for the beautification of the cities, preservation of the wildlife, parks as well as recreation centers.

Women's suffrage

The Canadian reformers advocated for the right of women to vote. Through empowerment, they would help in influencing the politicians. The women got the right to vote in the provinces in 1916-1940. By 1917 the women were allowed to vote in the federal elections (Smith, 2014).

Elimination of Gambling and Prostitution

The social reformers were dedicated to make society a better place by discouraging people from having immoral behavior. They also encouraged men not to engage in immoral behavior while at the same time-wasting their money paying for prostitution. They also advocated for the avoidance of gambling, as this would drain them financially (Smith, 2014).

Temperance

The social reformers changed society by asking people to stop drinking alcohol. If people stopped drinking alcohol, many problems in society could be solved. In 1874 the Women Christian Temperance Union was formed. By 1914 there were approximately 16,000 members. The reform was successful in prohibiting the sale of alcohol between 1918-1920 (Smith, 2014).

Canadian Traditions

Millions of immigrants greatly influenced Canadian traditions. Britain and the United States of American influenced Canadian tradition. Britain was the most powerful cultural influence of Canada in post-confederation Canada. The greatly influenced Canada in legal, education, and other British traditions. In the 1930s, America influenced Canadian culture, especially its economics, fashion, movies, as well as music (Vance, 2009). Canadian couples celebrate pregnancies, and as soon as they realize that they are pregnant. They tend to organize baby showers and celebrating the expectant mothers. It is their custom to organize the parties for parents and friends after the child is born, and the parents are expected to bring gifts to the newborn. The Canadian tradition dictates that children be given family names. A son, for example, maybe named after his grandfather or his uncle and a daughter after her grandmother.

When it comes to marriage, most Canadians get married in lavish ceremonies. The bride typically wears a white wedding dress that is purchased specifically for the ceremony. The wedding attendees wear their finest outfit (Vance, 2009). The ceremony is officiated by either a religious leader in case of a church wedding or a judge if the wedding is not conducted in the church. The judge or the religious leader leads the couple to express their loyalty, after which they are proclaimed as husband and wife.

Just like Canadian weddings, Canadian funerals are big and lavish. The majority of the families ship the corpse to a mortician for embalming and preparation (Vance, 2009). After the preparation, friends, and family are allowed to view the body. The funerals are held either in church or secular parlor, depending on the religion of the family.

Canadian Culture

Canadian culture is a representation of the values and way of life of the Canadian people. There are people who argue that Canadian culture is a blend of the British, American, and French cultures where many attributes of those countries have been embraced to form the Canadian culture (Neil, 2019). Canada has a huge population of foreigners that come with their own cultures helping to blend the Canadian culture. Most of the people live in major cities of Canada; hence there is a higher chance of the communities blending. The Canadian culture makes many people around the world consider migrating to Canada.

There is a traditional culture of the Canadian before that the people used to embrace before foreigners began to influence them with their own culture. The traditional culture includes the giving of presents to the people we value in society to show love and appreciation (Neil, 2019). The gives demonstrated generosity and to strengthen relationships among the people. The presents were wrapped with special papers that contained messages of love and appreciation. Flowers are parts of presents that are usually given to special people that one has relationships with. Canadians still give gifts to their friends' special people in their lives.

The Canadian culture includes the freedom of worship where Canadian citizens have the freedom of religion where people can belong to any religion that they wish to join. The freedom of religion is part of the culture of the people because they value respecting the rights of other people (Jessup, 2019). There are many religions in the world, and therefore it's the culture of the people that determines whether other religions are allowed in the community. The dominant religion in Canada is Christianity, but other religions are also allowed to practice their religion. There are many countries that have a restriction on religion as opposed to Canada.

The other culture of the Canadian people also includes many rites of passage that the people have to pass from birth to death. The rites of passage include birth rite, where the person gets born, and the people celebrate when a child is born (James, 2018). It's the tradition of the Canadian people to name newborns after other members of the family. The babies are considered to be a gift from the maker; hence the people celebrate for the gift. The other rite of passage includes the weeding where the community celebrates the love of two people that won't enter into marriage. There are different kinds of weeding, depending on the religion of the person. The last rite of passage is death, where the people come together to celebrate the life of the person who has died.

Painting is also part of the Canadian culture where people learn painting of different shapes while they are still young. The painting is embraced as part of idea representation and preservation, where people express their thoughts and ideas in the form of painting (Jessup, 2019). The art of painting was introduced by the missionaries who tried to teach the people different languages in the form of painting. The drawing was initially drawn on rocks, but finally, the people started painting papers. The painting has been used to preserve the history and major happens that happens in the community. The painting preserves the history of the Canadian people.

Etiquette and customs are part of the Canadian culture where the people are polite and tolerant, where the people have an easy time interacting with other people, including the foreigners who might want to migrate to Canada (Neil, 2019). The etiquette is part of the culture because not all communities are welcoming to foreigners that want to live in their community. The etiquette is something to be admired by other communities that migrate to Canada. The etiquette has enabled Canada to have many years where the people have lived in peace. The etiquette gives other communities the confidence to migrate and live in Canada.

There is also a culture of entertainment where people love being entertained through the various forms of entertainment, including music, theatre, and movies. The young people have embraced their cultures of entertainment where they pursue different careers that entertain the people (Vance, 2009). More actors and artists have come from Canada, such as Drake, and influenced art worldwide. There is a history of musicians that have influenced the world from the nineteenth century who originated from Canada. The entertainment culture enabled many people to love the way of life of the people.

Sports and recreation are also part of the Canadian culture, where people love sports and recreation activities. The people participate in the various forms of sports and events win major global sports (Neil, 2019). The state has established sport and recreational centers where the people go to entertain themselves. The recreational facilities bring the people together by participating in sports for exercise and keep busy.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Canadian culture is diverse and helps in uniting the people to maintain peace in Canada. The culture is changing as more people migrate from different parts of the world. The culture of the people of Canada has similarities with other countries where the majority of the people who have moved Canada with their own culture. The social reforms that are experienced in Canada are because of immigration.

Reference

Neil, G. (2019). Canadian Culture in a Globalized World: Canadian Culture in a Globalized World The impact of trade deals on Canada's cultural life. James Lorimer & Company.

Jessup, H. (2019). This is Not a Hoax: Unsettling Truth in Canadian Culture. Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press.

Vance, J. F. (2009). A History of Canadian Culture.

James, W. C. (2018). Locations of the Sacred: Essays on Religion, Literature, and Canadian Culture. Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press.

Smith, M. (Ed.). (2014). Group politics and social movements in Canada. University of Toronto Press.