Vocabulary Sept 8, 2011 Fertility Rate: The relationship between the total number of viable births and the average number of women of childbearing age. Pluriculturality: The diversity of cultures or cultural groups within a society Identity: The set of a person ’ s or group ’ s characteristics that distinguish them from others. Also refers to the individual ’ s sense of belonging to the group.

Population and Settlement of Quebec Today

Distribution of Quebec’s population As of 2007, Quebec had nearly 7.7 million people 48% of those people live in the Montreal area. Nearly half the population of Quebec lives in Montreal Yet Montreal is only 0.2% of the total land area of Quebec.

Questions to the class Why is it that so many people live in Montreal and not other parts of Quebec? Quebec has 75 seats in Parliament but Montreal and its suburbs have only 22 seats to represent them. How might that be a problem?

Population Measurement Population grows when the birth rate is higher than the mortality rate. Quebec’s population may soon begin to decline because 1) Women who are the right age to have babies are having less babies (low birth rate) 2) People are expected to live much longer now. (low mortality rate)

Question to the class What is so bad about having a declining population? Why do governments worry about this? Why are women having less babies than previous generations?

The Government’s Attempt to increase population The Quebec government passed laws that tried to make it easier and less expensive for people to have more children They introduced cheap daycare, parental leave, and offered tax reductions on things related to having children.

Increasing population by immigration Since the natural birth rate is low, Quebec tries to encourage growth by having people immigrate to Quebec. Quebec made a deal with the federal government to give priority to immigrants who already speak French At the same time, there are people who were born in Quebec that immigrate to other parts of Canada or the world.

Question to Class If more and more, Quebec’s population is made up of people that immigrated from other countries, how does that change Quebec society? Does that threaten the traditional francophone Christian culture of Quebec?

Pluriculturality of Quebec Society Pluriculturality means the “idea of melting pot”. Quebec’s policy towards immigrants is that they are respectful of their differences, but immigrants must conform to the rules, values and institutions of Quebec society. Ex: New immigrants must take French classes. Children of immigrants must attend French public schools unless they have special permission to attend an English school.

Question to the Class Do you know what “reasonable accommodation” means? The federal government’s official policy towards immigration is “multiculturalism”. How is that different from Quebec’s?