Реферат: The Comparative Method Essay Research Paper Sociologists

is fairly straight forward. The name basically says it all. In fact, it’s

much like the historical comparison method but on a much smaller scale. I

believe that in order for it to be termed cross-generational, the

generations that are being analyzed have to be living at the same time.

Otherwise it becomes a historical comparison. Karen Anderson gives an

example of a cross-generational comparison in her book Sociology : A

Critical Introduction (1996, pg. 12).

"Canadians pride themselves on their tolerance and lack of prejudice. But

we do not need to look very far into our history to find examples of

taken-for-granted understandings that have led to discriminatory and

prejudicial treatment. Some segments of the population have been

classified as undesirable and thus as unwanted or undeserving outsiders…"

Anderson is pointing out that the constructed view in Canada is that we

pride ourselves on the fact that we have very little prejudice in Canada.

She goes on to point out that this is not at all the case. She gives the

example of Canada’s history of immigration. She discusses the fact that a

lot of Chinese people were allowed to immigrate to Canada, much to the

dismay of current residents and already established European immigrants,

during the time when the transcontinental railroad was being built. Sir

John A. Macdonald was the Prime Minister at this time and defended his

reputation by telling the people of Canada, who were very disturbed by his

actions, that the Chinese immigrants would live in Western Canada just

temporarily. To reassure the people further Macdonald said "…no fear of a

permanent degradation of the country by a mongrel race". This would be

considered horrific these days. Most Canadians would not even realize that

their country was very closed to the idea of the immigration of certain

types of people. The social idea that Canada is, and always have been, a

very tolerant country is exposed as a false, constructed truth through this

cross-generational comparison.