Jean-Claude Robert, professor emeritus at Université du Québec à Montréal and a member of Université de Montréal’s heritage society, gave a speech on September 19, 2013, at a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the society. He graciously allowed his speech to be tailored for the Campus Montréal blog.

According to Statistics Canada, French-speaking Quebecers are less generous than other Canadians, despite an enduring and a deep-rooted tradition of mutual cooperation and charitable giving. Why have they not embraced the same culture of philanthropy?

Pre-1960s economic conditions

I would like to suggest as my first hypothesis the relative poverty of the French-speaking population, which endured until the late 1960s. How, indeed, can one develop a culture of charitable giving when there is barely enough money to survive?

In my research of the early 19th century, I learned that this abject poverty had existed for well over a century. I particularly remember reading a letter written by Louis-Joseph Papineau, a member of the provincial parliament since 1809, in which he described to his wife the sumptuous receptions given by the English-speaking members of the Assembly. He was amazed by the quality of these occasions, but above all extremely disappointed that he could not receive his peers with similar hospitality.

The mass emigration of French-Canadians in search of work in the United States, which lasted from 1840 to 1930, did nothing to alleviate the widespread poverty. While this period of industrialization provided enough jobs for the masses in Quebec, according to French political scientist André Siegfried, the salaries paid to these workers in the early 20th century were 25% lower than those paid to workers in New York State and in Ontario.

The Catholic legacy

Post-war prosperity gave rise to a new French-speaking middle class. Charitable giving in Quebec has been experiencing a revival since the 1970s. I write revival because charitable giving had always existed in Quebec, but it had historically been organized and controlled by the Catholic Church. Community service and outreach took place under the auspices of the Church, which also founded many of the province’s major hospitals, colleges and universities.

The Church also became the social management champion in the early 19th century. At its pinnacle, the Catholic Church in Quebec influenced every part of the community, from charity to culture, from social welfare to health and education.

This brings me to my second hypothesis, which proposes that the pivotal philanthropic role played by the Church has been taken over by the State. Accustomed to community facilities being supported and operated by a powerful institution that acts as the great equalizer to restore a certain social balance, French-speaking Quebecers today still rely on an institution (the government) to perform that role. The yearly tithe and weekly church collection have been replaced, to a large degree, by income tax and major fundraising campaigns such as United Way and Christmas food drives.

The underlying problem here, as I see it, stems from a kind of apathy and general passiveness. Unwittingly, Quebecers have become indifferent to a number of social and cultural causes, having been easily swayed to transfer complete social responsibility to the State and, consequently, losing sight that individuals also have a civic responsibility towards their community.

Jean-Claude Robert
Professor Emeritus

 

I would like to thank Professor Robert for this excellent overview. I am confident that Quebecers have, in recent years, developed a better understanding of philanthropy.

Today’s many fundraising campaigns, resulting from the growing number of causes, have produced encouraging, long-term results. I am aware that prevailing attitudes will have to change in order for Quebecers to shift to a modern philanthropic culture.

Professor Robert’s account explained our humble origins and cultural roots. It is now up to Campus Montréal to run a successful campaign and champion the cause of greater philanthropy.

Read Professor Robert’s second post.

John Parisella

 

Photo credit: Andrew Dobrowolskyj

Shown in photo (left to right): Diane Baillargeon, Director, Records Management and Archives Department; UdeM rector Guy Breton; Chantal Thomas, General Manager, Alumni Relations and Development Office; Dr. Serge Carrière, Me Jean-Pierre Rousselle, Gisèle Floc’h Rousselle and Jean-Claude Robert, members of the heritage society; Cristine Lamoureux, Director, Planned Giving and Major Gifts (Alumni Relations and Development Office)