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Disunity in transition : a comparative analysis of organizational, policy and leadership conflicts within western separatist groups -- West-Fed and WCC (February, 1980-August, 1982)

University of British Columbia

This paper is a case study of West-Fed Association and Western Canada Concept. As the two major separatist organizations in western Canada, operating intheearly 1980s, these two groups have received an abundance of curious attention from the media and academics alike. Yet little of this attention has been focused on the internal structure and workings of the two associations. This study's objective therefore, is to gain a clearer understanding of how West-Fed and Western Canada Concept functioned as political organizations. More specifically, the paper will highlight those internal conflicts which severely weakened and dramatically altered the two groups; of particular interest will be the importance and scope of each association's organization, policy and leadership components as contributors to the creation and development of the several conflicts. In the end, however, the essay will argue that neither West-Fed nor Western Canada Concept have suffered a greater degree of internal dissension than any other political organization, suggesting that the two groups can (or could have) decrease the severity of future conflicts once they establish a clear sense of priorities.

Text

2010-03-29

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/22929

Political Science

University of British Columbia

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