From Survival to Vitality: the Emergence of a Field of Research and the Institutionalization of Expert Knowledge in the Canadian Francophonie Since the 1980s
The institutionalization of the Canadian linguistic regime since the 1980s has played a structuring role in the current organization of the francophone community, including its representations of itself and its aims, strategies and tactics of collective action. In parallel with the restructuring of the francophone network of civil society organizations and the intensification of its links with the state, a scientific field specific to minority francophone communities has become institutionalized. This field has allowed the emergence of a new francophone actor: the expert. Expert knowledge is based on three main concepts: ethnolinguistic vitality, institutional completeness and francophone governance. We argue that these terms have become hegemonic, insofar as they permeate the social sciences, the state and civil society organizations. First, we describe the Canadian linguistic regime. Second, we trace the emergence and institutionalization of the field within the social sciences studying francophone minorities. Finally, we take a critical look at the production of expert knowledge by demonstrating that it leads to a partial and biased reading of the communities.