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Topic

The Two Solitudes in the Digital Age: A Comparative Analysis of French and Anglo Canadian Sociology Journals

Department of Sociology

Date & location

• Thursday, August 28, 2025

• 1:00 P.M.

• Cornett Building

• Room A317

Reviewers

Supervisory Committee

• Dr. Bruce Ravelli, Department of Sociology, University of Victoria (Supervisor)

• Dr. Eugene Dim, Department of Sociology, UVic (Member) 

External Examiner

• Dr. Scott Watson, Department of Political Science, University of Victoria 

Chair of Oral Examination

• Dr. Sandra Gibbons, School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education, UVic 

Abstract

Canadian sociology is often described as two solitudes due to the separation between French and Anglo-Canadian sociologists. However, few studies have compared both languages to understand whether sociology is practiced differently in Canada depending on the language used for research. Therefore, this thesis explores whether Canadian sociology journals reflected the two solitudes over time. Using a computational methodology, I analyzed 14,528 French and English articles published in Canadian sociology journals between 1960 and 2021 to compare their publication trends. 

The findings reveal that half of all articles addressed topics that were published about in the two languages. I also identified four core topics in Canadian sociology that were studied in both English and French between 1960 and 2021: theory, work, crime, and family. In addition to the common topics, the two languages experienced a fragmentation, delocalization, and feminization of their research topics over time. These similar social processes show that there is more common ground between French and Anglo-Canadian sociology than is implied by the two solitudes metaphor.