Last week,
renowned Sociologist, speaker, and CEO of the Vanier Institute of the Family
Nora Spinks held a lecture with my second year Sociology class at UOttawa. She
spoke of a recent event at the Vanier Institute where a time capsule was dug up
which had been compiled by a group of Sociologists one hundred years ago. In
this capsule, they expressed some concerns which faced the families of their
time which they hoped to be solved in a hundred years, and posed three
questions which they hoped to be answered. For their concerns, they worried
that young people would not be able to improve beyond the living standards of
their parents, that young people would be safe and secure in their families,
and that people could find meaningful work for meaningful pay without affecting
family time. What is startling about these concerns is that none of them has
been resolved, and they are still highly prevalent problems in the families of
today.
For their
three questions, the Sociologists asked: Have you discovered and explored the
North Pole? Have you perfected the flying machine? And, have you developed the
ability to communicate with family members who are far away? Clearly, we have
done all of these things and more since 1914. Not only have we perfected the
flying machine, but it is now a major form of everyday transportation. We have
the ability to communicate across long distances even face-to-face, which would
be a real shock and fascination for the Sociologists.
If we were to
really look into it, the First World War is a major contributing factor to these
advancements, especially in the case of the flying machine. The arms race
against Germany caused Great Britain to develop planes that could fly faster
and for longer, naval vessels that could withstand the demands of time, combat
and transportation in foreign waters, and sophisticated telegraph systems to
allow communications along the lines. While a major, terrible loss occurred as
a result of the Great War, there were significant technological gains which
have a legacy in everyday life a century later.
I was able to
further explore the legacy of the First World War when I interviewed Dr Andrew
Burtch, acting director of research at the Canadian War Museum, as part of my
research position with the UOttawa Central and Eastern European Studies Research
Group. He said that this year of recognition for the hundredth anniversary is
less about commemoration, and more concerned with acknowledging the history.
The museum itself, for example, has focused on highlighting different aspects
of the war throughout the year. For instance, they had an exhibit featuring
wartime art by Canadian artist A.Y. Jackson and German artist Otto Dix, which
showed the different artistic interpretations of the wartime experience. They
also launched a new exhibit this week which focuses on the internment of
Ukrainian Canadians during the war, a topic which has only recently been
explored. In the years to come, they plan to continue these spotlight events,
which will allow people to experience all aspects of the Great War, such as the
war in the air and individual battles.
"[The
First World War is] one of the most written-about subjects of all time",
said Dr Burtch. "It's the First World War internationally... the United
States has the Civil War... This is a defining conflict." In terms of
establishing our identity as a new nation, as well as creating groundbreaking
technological advances, this war directly paved the way for a great many modern
concepts. We should be keeping them in mind as we honour it's hundredth
anniversary.
Thanks for reading,
Delany
Leitch
-What would you write in your time capsule? What
questions would you like to have answered?
-If you've ever been to the Canadian War Museum, I'd love
to hear about your visit! Join the conversation!
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