The years between the end of World War II and the mid-1960s have usually been viewed as an era of political and social consensus made possible by widely diffused prosperity, creeping Americanization and fears of radical subversion, and a dominant culture challenged periodically by the claims of marginal groups. By exploring what were actually the mainstream ideologies and cultural practices of the period, the authors argue that the postwar consensus was itself a precarious cultural ideal that was characterized by internal tensions and, while containing elements of conservatism, reflected considerable diversity in the way in which citizenship identities were defined. Contributors include Denyse Baillargeon (Université de Montréal), P.E. Bryden (Mount Allison University), Nancy Christie, Michael Gauvreau, Karine Hebert (Carleton University), Len Kuffert (Carleton University), and Peter S. McInnis (St Francis Xavier University).

Nancy Christie is professor, history, Trent University and the author of several prize-winning books, including A Full-Orbed Christianity: The Protestant Churches and Social Welfare in Canada, 1900-1940, and Engendering The State: Family, Work, and Welfare in Canada.

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Michael Gauvreau, professor of history at McMaster University, is the author and editor of numerous works, including Mapping the Margins: Families and Social Disciplines in Canada, 1700-1970 and Cultures of Citizenship in Postwar Canada, 1940-1955.

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