A Rose by any Other Name - Repressive Tolerance, Burnout, and Hope in the New West

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Muffet

A theoretical autoethnographic inquiry explores the author’s recent experiences as a Métis environmental activist, educator, and academic amid Alberta’s political shift, marked by the rise of the New Democratic Party followed by a Liberal federal victory. The analysis uses Marcuse’s repressive tolerance to examine insider/outsider dynamics and activist educator burnout, treating the unprecedented change in Alberta’s government as consequential for Canada, North America, and beyond.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Overview

Theoretical Framework

A Rose by any Other Name: Repressive Tolerance, Burnout, and Hope in the New West Gregory Lowan-Trudeau, University of Calgary, Canada Abstract In this article I reflexively explore my recent experiences as a Métis environmental activist, educator, and academic with the historic rise of the New Democratic Party in Alberta, Canada which was quickly followed by the victory of the federal Liberal Party, toppling conservative dynasties at both levels. This autoethnograhic inquiry also considers activist educator burnout and insider/outsider dynamics through a lens informed by Marcuse’s theory of repressive tolerance. This line of theoretical inquiry and reflection is significant due to the unprecedented shift in government that recently occurred in Alberta, a region under intense environmental scrutiny, which bears implications for the rest of Canada, North America, and the world. Résumé Dans cet article, je scrute à la loupe mes récentes expériences en tant qu’activisteenvironnemental, éducateur et chercheur d’origine métisse à la lumière de la victoire éclatante du Nouveau Parti démocratique en Alberta et de l’élection d’un gouvernement libéral à Ottawa, qui ont délogé dans les deux cas les conservateursau pouvoir depuis de nombreuses années. Cette démarche autoethnographiques’intéresse aussi à l’épuisement professionnel de l’éducateur activiste et aux rapports entre les tenants d’une culture et les autres en appuyant les réflexions sur la théorie de la tolérance répressive de Marcuse. L’approche théorique de cettedémarche (et la réflexion qu’elle suscite)est particulièrement pertinente en regard du changement de cap marqué qui a eu lieu quant au choix de gouvernementen Alberta, une région où les enjeux environnementaux font l’objet d’une grande attention, et qui a des répercussions sur le reste du Canada, l’Amérique du Nord et le monde entier. Keywords: Indigenous, environmental, activism, burnout, insider/outsider, Alberta Overview In this article I reflexively explore my recent experiences with the historic rise of the New Democratic Party in Alberta that was quickly followed by the victory of the federal Liberal Party, toppling conservative dynasties at both levels. As a Métis environmental activist, educator, and academic born, raised, and recently returned to Alberta, these shifts have been sources of hope, but also completely Canadian Journal of Environmental Education, 21, 2016 57 disorienting at times. This line of theoretical inquiry and reflection is especially significant due to the unprecedented shift in government that occurred in Alberta, a region under intense environmental scrutiny, which bears implications for therest of Canada, North America, and the world. In framing this article I draw on Marcuse’s (1965) notion of repressive tolerance, consideration of insider/outsider dynamics and positioning (Maloney, Jordan, & McLaughlin, 1994; Smith, 2012), and insights into activist educator burnout (Gorsky & Chen, 2015) to reflexively explore and articulate my experiences with these recent events as a public scholar and educator. This autoethnographic (Ellis, Adams, & Bochner, 2011) inquiry employs a narrative approach to provide a theoretically grounded exploration of past and present personal experiences with the shifting political dynamics in Alberta and Canada. I draw from a variety of sources, including review of my personal journal and social media activity from the past two and a half years, theoretical sources, and, given the recent nature of the topics discussed, popular and independent news media commentary and reporting. I also make reference to past and present research studies and popular media contributions of my own and from other scholars in related areas. Theoretical Framework Marcuse’s (1965) concept of repressive tolerance provides the primary theoretical grounding for this inquiry. In articulating the concept of repressive tolerance, Marcuse asks whether democratic gover

FAQs

What political changes in Alberta and Canada frame the article?

The article frames experiences around the historic rise of the New Democratic Party in Alberta and the subsequent victory of the federal Liberal Party, toppling conservative leadership at both levels.

Which theory is used to ground the analysis?

Marcuse’s (1965) notion of repressive tolerance provides the primary theoretical grounding, including how tolerance can serve oppression while maintaining business as usual.

How does the article connect repressive tolerance to activist educator burnout?

It considers activist educator burnout alongside insider/outsider dynamics, using the theoretical lens to interpret personal experiences and the emotional or professional impacts of shifting political and social contexts.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Muffet