OPPapers.com

Canadian Postmodernism

Canadian Postmodernism
In recent years, it would appear that attitudes are constantly changing on political issues. Along with this is the inevitable change in our political culture. Some could argue that this idea of change is a false representation of what is important on the political agenda by stating money and materialistic values are still very evident in today’s society. But with environmental issues, health concerns and human rights becoming more voiced by individuals and groups, it raises the idea that Canada has become a post materialist political culture that evolved from life after the Second World War. This paper will argue that Canadians that were born into this seemingly more economically stable and peaceful country have become less materialistic in their values. This new atmosphere provides a culture that shares a greater concern for social issues relating to self expression and lifestyle rather than economic stability and materialistic values.
            It goes without saying that the focus on being environmentally friendly with our new-age lifestyles is becoming more pressing than ever. With the emergence of the Green Party in Canada, it is quickly coming into competition with political parties such as Conservative, Liberal and the NDP. An example of this would be in the 2004 federal election when the Green Party was able to grasp 4.3% of the popular vote. Since then, with the help of media and organizations such as Greenpeace influencing the public’s views on our environment, the Green Party has been able to climb to about 10% of the popular vote. (Camcastle). This clearly shows that the public is responding to the outcry of groups which are showing how pollution is affecting our daily life.  Although this idea seems fairly new, the prediction of global warming has been forecasted since the late nineteen eighties by climate experts. (Revkin) This has a key influence on Canada’s political culture as we as Canadians already experience harsh...