The Language of Agrarianism in Manitoba, 1890-1925

Manitoba agrarianism underwent a change during the settlement and post-settlement period as a nineteenth century oppositional vision was displaced by an accommodationist position in the twentieth century. This article delineates this change by reconstructing the language of radicalism employed by the Patrons of Industry and the language of accommodation that became pre-eminent in the Manitoba Grain Growers Association and the United Farmers of Manitoba. It is suggested that, by viewing these languages as distinct entities with their own discursive unity, it is possible and necessary to view agrarian ideology at some distance from its putative class location. Resume La periode pendant et apres la colonisation du dix-neuvieme siecle marque un changement dans l'agrarianisme manitobain, alors qu'au vingtieme siecle la vision oppositionnelle fait place a l'accomodation. Le present article se penche sur ce changement en reconstruisant le langage du radicalisme utilise par les Patrons de l'Industrie et le langage d'accomodation qui devint preeminent dans la Manitoba Grain Growers' Association et les Fermiers-Unis du Manitoba. L'auteur suggere qu'en voyant ces langages comme des entites distintes, avec leur propre unite discursive, il est possible et necessaire de considerer l'ideologie agraire comme distanciee de sa position de classe putative

Agrarianism · Linguistics · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Canadian Identity and History · Historical Studies and Socio-cultural Analysis · Law · Philosophy