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Andrew Griffith's avatar

Interesting analysis and breakdowns. But I question whether the substitution from very to very or somewhat is something to be very concerned about. May just reflect a more realistic assessment of Canada and Canadian society, proud but with nuances. Partisan differences are very apparent so the "Canada is broken" rhetoric is likely having an impact.

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Andrew Parkin's avatar

I don't disagree - that's why we emphasize what's going on with youth: the movement is to "somewhat proud" rather than to "not proud." Is that really a big concern? Maybe - for obvious reasons right now - young people are wary of "my country first" rhetoric, though that is speculation.

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Rene Cremonese's avatar

Any sense whether this is a primarily Canadian phenomenon? Or has a similar trend been seen in other Western countries ?

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Andrew Parkin's avatar

Good question. Quick initial reply: here's the comparison with the U.S., up until 2023 (we hope to update the comparison later this year).

https://cdnsurveystuff.substack.com/p/national-pride-in-canada-and-the

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Rene Cremonese's avatar

Thank you. The comparisons are interesting. I suppose then there is another issue to be looked at - is it a good or bad thing that the answer to this question has declined? On the face of it, I guess it might always be preferable to have people who are proud of their country. You make no value judgement about this survey data but I could concoct scenarios explaining the drop which could be seen as a positive. For example, if a significant number of younger Canadians held their country in less esteem now because they have a more realistic sense of its economic situation and history, it might lead to demand for and action to correct problems and challenges. A drop in this kind of support might be necessary to galvanize political action. I cannot say that this is something we are seeing, although a rise in people hoping to return to what they believe was a better past could potentially be seen in this survey data.

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