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Creating a Culture of Support for the Social Sciences: Lessons from the First Forty Years of the Social Science Federation of Canada

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Abstract

The primary aim of this essay is to review some of the history of the first 40 years of the Social Science Federation of Canada in order to discover strategies that one might use today to create a stronger culture of support for the social sciences. While my methods are historical, reflective and analytic, my fundamental aim is practical and the main assessment of the value of this essay should be pragmatic.

Michalos, A.C.: 1997. Creating a culture of support for social sciences: lessons from the first 40 years of the Social Sciences Federation of Canada. Paper written for the Conference on Science and Culture at Trent University, May 1997. Copyright © 1997 Alex C. Michalos.

I would like to thank UNBC’s Cataloguing Librarian, Rudi Traichel, for his considerable effort and success in tracking down some historical figures, both human and mathematical. The initial research material for this paper was circulated among members of the Social Science Federation of Canada in March 1983 under the title “The Social Science Federation of Canada from 1938 to 1980”. This version of the paper was written for the Conference on Science and Culture at Trent University, May 1997.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Social Science Research Council Minutes 1940–44, Minutes of first meeting, September 16–17, 1940, Appendix 1. All quotations are from this Appendix until a change is specifically noted.

  2. 2.

    Ibid., Appendix 3. All quotations are from this Appendix until a change is noted.

  3. 3.

    Ibid., Minutes of the first meeting, pp. 2–3.

  4. 4.

    Ibid., p. 4. In a fine collection of essays, Arnove (1982) claimed that Foundations “have a corrosive influence on a democratic society”. The evidence provided here indicates that from the point of view of those enjoying the Foundations’ largesse, the “corrosive influence” may be acceptable, insofar as it is perceived at all.

  5. 5.

    Ibid., p. 5.

  6. 6.

    Ibid., pp. 7–9.

  7. 7.

    Ibid., Minutes of the second meeting, February 8 and 9, 1941, Appendix 2.

  8. 8.

    Ibid., p. 5.

  9. 9.

    Ibid., Minutes of First Executive Meeting, April 19, 1941, p. 1.

  10. 10.

    Ibid., Minutes of meeting held at Queen’s University, May 24–26, 1941, p. 3.

  11. 11.

    Ibid., Minutes of First Annual Meeting, held at University of Montreal, November 7, 1941, p. 1. Exactly why the third meeting of the Council should have been called the “First Annual Meeting” is not clear to me.

  12. 12.

    Ibid., p. 4.

  13. 13.

    Ibid., Minutes of Executive Meeting, January 9 and 10, 1943, p. 2. There is no record of full Council or Executive meetings in 1942 or of full Council meetings in 1943. Presumably, the war interrupted schedules.

  14. 14.

    Ibid., Minutes of Meeting, May 27–28, 1944, p. 2.

  15. 15.

    Ibid., Minutes of Annual Meeting, November 4–5, 1944, p. 2.

  16. 16.

    Social Science Research Council Minutes 1945–49, Minutes of Annual Meeting, December 15–16, 1945, p. 1. Notice that the name of the Council seems to have changed since the 1940 press release.

  17. 17.

    Ibid., Minutes of Executive Meeting, March 16, 1946, p. 1.

  18. 18.

    Ibid., Minutes of Council Meeting, May 18–19, 1946, p. 3.

  19. 19.

    Ibid., Minutes of Annual Meeting, November 1–2, 1946, p. 1.

  20. 20.

    Ibid., Minutes of Executive Meeting, Feb. 8–9, 1947, p. 1.

  21. 21.

    Ibid., Minutes of Meeting of Council, May 24–25, 1947, p. 2.

  22. 22.

    Ibid., Minutes of Seventh Annual Meeting, October 25–26, 1947, p. 3.

  23. 23.

    Ibid., Minutes of Executive Committee, February 21–22, 1948, p. 1.

  24. 24.

    Ibid., Minutes of Council Meeting, June 12–13, 1948, pp. 1–2.

  25. 25.

    Ibid., p. 3.

  26. 26.

    Ibid., Minutes of Annual Meeting, January 22–23, 1949, p. 5.

  27. 27.

    Social Science Research Council Minutes 1949–52, Minutes of June 11–12, 1949, p. 3.

  28. 28.

    Ibid., p. 5.

  29. 29.

    Ibid., Minutes of Annual Meeting, October 29–30, 1949, p. 1.

  30. 30.

    Ibid., Report of the Treasurer to the Annual Meeting of 1949, p. 4.

  31. 31.

    Ibid., Minutes of Executive Meeting, February 25, 1950, pp. 1–2.

  32. 32.

    Ibid., Minutes of Meeting, June 3–4, 1950, p. 2.

  33. 33.

    Ibid., Minutes of Meeting, October 28–29, 1950, p. 5.

  34. 34.

    Ibid., Minutes of Executive Meeting, February 10–11, 1951, p. 3.

  35. 35.

    Ibid., Minutes of Meeting, June 2–3, 1951, p. 8.

  36. 36.

    Ibid., p. 9.

  37. 37.

    Ibid., Minutes of Meeting, November 17–18, 1951, p. 5.

  38. 38.

    Ibid., Minutes of Meeting of Council, November 8, 1952, p. 3.

  39. 39.

    Social Science Research Council Minutes 1953–56, Treasurer’s Report to the Annual Meeting for the year ended September 30, 1953, p. 2.

  40. 40.

    Ibid., Minutes of Executive Meeting, February 20, 1954, pp. 2–3.

  41. 41.

    Ibid., Minutes of Annual Meeting, November 20, 1954, p. 1.

  42. 42.

    Ibid., Secretary-Treasurer’s Report to the Annual Meeting, September 30, 1954, p. 1.

  43. 43.

    Ibid., Report of Secretary-Treasurer to Meeting of May 31, 1955, p. 2.

  44. 44.

    Ibid., Minutes of Executive Meeting, March 10, 1956, p. 3.

  45. 45.

    Ibid., Minutes of Annual Meeting, June 9, 1956, p. 3.

  46. 46.

    Social Science Research Council Minutes 1957–59, Minutes of Executive Meeting, September 6, 1957, p. 1.

  47. 47.

    Ibid., p. 2.

  48. 48.

    Ibid., p. 3.

  49. 49.

    Ibid., Minutes of Council Meeting, November 30, 1957, p. 5.

  50. 50.

    Ibid.

  51. 51.

    Ibid., Report of the Treasurer to Meeting of November 1957, p. 2.

  52. 52.

    Ibid., Report of the Research Planning Committee, November 1957, p. 10.

  53. 53.

    Ibid., Minutes of the Executive Committee, March 22, 1958, p. 3.

  54. 54.

    Letter from V.W. Bladen to Chairman of SSRCC, November 4, 1958.

  55. 55.

    Ibid., Treasurer’s Report to Council Meeting, June 7, 1959, p. 1.

  56. 56.

    Ibid., Meeting of the Executive, November 14, 1959, p. 4.

  57. 57.

    Social Science Research Council Minutes 1960–62, Letter from G.E. Britnell to the Director of Canada Council, February 5, 1960.

  58. 58.

    Ibid.

  59. 59.

    Ibid.

  60. 60.

    Ibid., Report of the Chairman, Annual Meeting, June 1960.

  61. 61.

    Ibid., Minutes of the Executive Committee Meeting, August 6, 1960, p. 1.

  62. 62.

    Ibid., Minutes of the Executive Committee Meeting, January 21, 1962, p. 7.

  63. 63.

    Ibid., Minutes of the Executive Committee Meeting, February 25, 1962, p. 2.

  64. 64.

    Ibid., Minutes of the Annual Meeting, June 9, 1962, p. 2.

  65. 65.

    Ibid.

  66. 66.

    Ibid., Minutes of the Executive Committee, November 24, 1962, p. 2.

  67. 67.

    Social Science Research Council Minutes 1963–65, Minutes of Executive Committee, January 4, 1963, p. 3.

  68. 68.

    Ibid., Minutes of a Joint Meeting of Executives of HRCC and SSRCC, February 16, 1963, p. 2.

  69. 69.

    Ibid., Minutes of the Executive Meeting, June 8, 1963, p. 2.

  70. 70.

    Ibid., Minutes of the Annual Meeting, June 8, 1963, p. 2.

  71. 71.

    Ibid., Minutes of Executive Committee Meeting, October 19, 1963, pp. 3–4.

  72. 72.

    Ibid., Minutes of Executive Committee Meeting, December 14, 1963, p. 6.

  73. 73.

    Ibid., p. 7.

  74. 74.

    Ibid., Minutes of Executive Committee Meeting, February 15, 1964, p. 2.

  75. 75.

    Ibid., Minutes of Annual Meeting, June 9, 1964, pp. 1–4.

  76. 76.

    Social Science Research Council Minutes 1965–67, Minutes of the Executive Committee, April 16, 1966, p. 4.

  77. 77.

    Ibid., Minutes of Annual Meeting, June 11, 1966, pp. 3–4.

  78. 78.

    Ibid., pp. 6–7.

  79. 79.

    Ibid., p. 9.

  80. 80.

    Ibid., p. 13.

  81. 81.

    Social Science Research Council Minutes 1967–1968, Minutes of Annual Meeting, June 13, 1967, pp. 4–6.

  82. 82.

    Ibid., p. 10.

  83. 83.

    M.F. Timlin and A. Faucher, The Social Sciences in Canada: Two Studies (Ottawa: Social Science Research Council of Canada/Conseil canadien de recherche en sciences sociales, May 1968) p. iii.

  84. 84.

    Ibid., pp. iii–iv.

  85. 85.

    Ibid., p. 25.

  86. 86.

    Ibid., p. 26.

  87. 87.

    Ibid., p. 30.

  88. 88.

    Ibid., p. 78.

  89. 89.

    Ibid., p. 82.

  90. 90.

    Ibid., p. 117.

  91. 91.

    Ibid., pp. 117–118.

  92. 92.

    Ibid., pp. 118–119.

  93. 93.

    Ibid., p. 122.

  94. 94.

    Ibid., p. 134.

  95. 95.

    Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Annual Report 1981–1982, p. 206; Social Science Federation of Canada, Annual Report 1981–1982, p. 35.

  96. 96.

    Social Science Research Council Minutes 1967–1968, Minutes of a Joint Meeting of the Executive Committees, December 12, 1968, p. 3.

  97. 97.

    Ibid., p. 4.

  98. 98.

    Ibid.

  99. 99.

    Ibid., Minutes of the Executive Committee, December 13, 1968, p. 9.

  100. 100.

    Ibid., enclosure with letter from H.G. Thorburn to the Council of Ministers of Education, December 1968 (no date is given on the letter), pp. 5–6.

  101. 101.

    Social Science Research Council Minutes 1969–1970, Minutes of the Annual Meeting, June 8, 1969, p. 4.

  102. 102.

    Ibid., Minutes of Annual Meeting, June 8, 1969, p. 6.

  103. 103.

    Ibid., p. 7.

  104. 104.

    op. cit., p. 2.

  105. 105.

    Social Science Research Council Minutes 1969–1970, letter from J. Boucher to W.J. Waines, June 20, 1969, p. 2.

  106. 106.

    Ibid., Minutes of General Council Meeting, February 27, 1970, pp. 2–3.

  107. 107.

    Ibid., p. 3.

  108. 108.

    Ibid.

  109. 109.

    Ibid., pp. 3–5.

  110. 110.

    Ibid, pp. 5–6.

  111. 111.

    Ibid., p. 7.

  112. 112.

    Ibid., pp. 8–9.

  113. 113.

    Ibid., pp. 11–12.

  114. 114.

    Ibid., p. 14.

  115. 115.

    Ibid., pp. 1–11.

  116. 116.

    Ibid., Discussion, pp. 1–2.

  117. 117.

    Social Science Research Council Minutes 1970–1971, Minutes of the Annual Meeting, October 9–10, 1970, p. 3.

  118. 118.

    Ibid., pp. 8–9.

  119. 119.

    Ibid., Minutes of the Executive Committee, February 6–7, 1971, pp. 5–6.

  120. 120.

    Ibid., pp. 7–9. The BASSS Report was the US Council’s Behaviorial and Social Sciences Surveys.

  121. 121.

    Ibid., Minutes of Council, April 24–25, 1971, p. 10.

  122. 122.

    Ibid., p. 14.

  123. 123.

    Ibid., p. 17.

  124. 124.

    Social Science Research Council Minutes 1972–1973, Minutes of the Executive Committee, April 17, 1972, pp. 1–2.

  125. 125.

    Ibid., Minutes of Meeting of Council, April 17–18, 1972, p. 3.

  126. 126.

    Ibid.

  127. 127.

    Ibid., p. 6.

  128. 128.

    Ibid., p. 7.

  129. 129.

    Ibid., Minutes of the Executive Committee, May 25, 1972, pp. 3–4.

  130. 130.

    Ibid., Letter from D.A. Soberman to D. Berlyne, June 2, 1972, pp. 3–4.

  131. 131.

    Ibid., Minutes of the Annual Meeting, September 28–29, 1972, p. 1.

  132. 132.

    Ibid., Minutes of the Executive Committee, November 28–29, 1972, p. 3.

  133. 133.

    Ibid.

  134. 134.

    Social Science Research Council Minutes 1974–1975, Minutes of the Executive Committee, February 1, 1975, p. 4.

  135. 135.

    Ibid.

  136. 136.

    Social Science Research Council Minutes 1975–1976, Minutes of the Annual Meeting, June 1, 1975, p. 3.

  137. 137.

    Ibid., Minutes of the Semi-Annual Council Meeting, November 23, 1975, p. 2.

  138. 138.

    Ibid., Minutes of the Executive Committee, January 29–30, 1976, p. 2.

  139. 139.

    Ibid.

  140. 140.

    Ibid., p. 4.

  141. 141.

    Social Science Federation of Canada Minutes February 2, 1979 to June 5, 1980 (loose leaf binder), Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Directors, February 2, 1979, p. 7.

  142. 142.

    Ibid., Minutes of the Meeting of the Executive Committee, September 14, 1979, p. 6.

  143. 143.

    Ibid., Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Directors, October 12–13, 1979, p. 4.

  144. 144.

    Ibid., Minutes of the Meeting of the Executive Committee, November 30, 1979, p. 5.

  145. 145.

    Ibid., Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Directors, February 8–9, 1980, p. 6.

  146. 146.

    Ibid., p. 17.

  147. 147.

    Ibid., Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Directors, June 3–4, 1980, p. 2.

  148. 148.

    Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Directors, February 12, 1981, p. 3.

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    Alex C. Michalos

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Michalos, A.C. (2017). Creating a Culture of Support for the Social Sciences: Lessons from the First Forty Years of the Social Science Federation of Canada. In: Philosophical Foundations of Quality of Life. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50727-9_15

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