Community organization and political action in Montreal.

During the past decade, the Canadian province of Quebec has undergone a swift and profound cultural metamorphosis in the process of defining its identity. As a result, many social, economic, and political institutions are being redefined, formally or informally, either in opposition to or in contrast with Canadian and American institutions. The evolution of a mode of community intervention in Montreal, "l'animation sociale," is a good example of this cultural differentiation in social work practice. This article focuses on the development of this form of community organization in the political context of Quebec. To identify the main elements of Quebec's ideological system, e.g. the dominant ideology and counterideologies, some important historical events that demonstrate Quebec's ideological tendencies during the last decade will be outlined. The other important counterideology developed in Quebec in the past ten years is socialism. Two important local factors have accelerated the development of the socialist ideology in Quebec. First, numerous long and crippling strikes during the mid-1960s the flagrant injustice done to the taxicab industry in Montreal, and shutdowns of many factories have demonstrated the weakness of economic planning at different levels of government. Second, provincial and national social and economic policies have failed to alleviate the problems of health, housing, employment, and the like.