Quand « la maison signifiait quelque chose » : la famille selon l'École sociale populaire, 1918-1939

Abstract

Convinced that the break-up and disorganization of Quebec families during the interwar years could be attributed to the excesses of liberalism and the destructive effects of individualism, the École sociale populaire undertook to instruct and raise the moral standards of the family, all the while demanding that the state become more involved by implementing policies for family support. In opposition to a liberal concept of the economic role of the state, the ESP discourse relied on the principle of collective solidarity in terms of the social doctrine of the Catholic Church. The ESP is also worthy of note because it proposed a discourse and initiatives that simply did not fall within the confined framework of political debate. Committed to the institution of a corporatist society in which the family would play a crucial role, the ESP had as its goal to reform the entire social order by reaffirming the appeal of a former organic social structure.