May 11, 2023 — A new survey by Pollara Strategic Insights explores Canadians’ familiarity and feelings with terms and concepts often associated with the culture war, which has been raging in recent years across the United States, and recently in Canada.
The term woke is often at the centre of this, with many conservative politicians using the word derisively. The three-in-four (75%) Canadians who have heard the term before are mixed towards it: 31% feel being woke is usually bad and 16% feel it is usually good, while the majority hold mixed opinions.
Only 25% of Canadians consider themselves woke, though this figure rises to 38% among younger women and 35% among younger men. The term is politically charged, with half (50%) of NDP voters and one-third (33%) of Liberal voters considering themselves woke, compared to 17% of Conservative voters. And while 63% of Conservative voters feel the Prime Minister is “too woke”, only 16% of Liberal voters feel this way.
While views on being woke are mixed, Canadians are generally positive towards Black Lives Matter, pride flags, feminism, and the #MeToo movement. They are largely negative towards defund the police and cancel culture.
| Feel this is “usually good” | Feel this is “usually bad” | |
|---|---|---|
| Black Lives Matter | 47% | 12% |
| Pride Flags | 49% | 15% |
| Feminism | 41% | 11% |
| #MeToo Movement | 41% | 13% |
| Allyship | 38% | 12% |
| Affirmative Action | 31% | 10% |
| Intersectionality | 21% | 18% |
| Political Correctness | 22% | 20% |
| Critical Race Theory | 19% | 24% |
| Woke | 16% | 31% |
| Gatekeepers | 6% | 29% |
| Virtue Signalling | 6% | 34% |
| Defund the Police | 10% | 51% |
| Cancel Cutlure | 5% | 47% |
See the full details in our report and commentary on the study by the CBC
