When everyone was commenting on the Mark Sandford story, the Wall Street Journal published an article entitled Sex Americana about how sex has upended so many political careers.
Its author claims that ‘the Americans and the Brits are the
psycho-sexually repressed victims of their puritan moral heritage and their
Protestant work ethic. For the Europeans, especially those of a Latin
provenance, the sexual antics of politicians are of no more consideration in
the judgment of their suitability for office than is what they eat for
breakfast.’
Is this also true of Quebeckers given the Latin roots of many?
It seems it is.
Here are a few data points:
What is morally acceptable? Married men and/or women having an affair.
- Atlantic 10%
- Quebec 35%
- Ontario 10%
- Prairies 14%
- Alberta 10%
- BC 10%
Source: Angus Reid Strategies, October 2007
- Alberta 26%
- B.C. 30%
- Ontario 29%
- Quebec 35%
Source: The Globe & Mail’s The Love Poll – 15,000 Canadians nationally online.
Quebeckers are significantly less likely than Canadians in the ROC to believe that they have been cheated on.
Thinking back to a current or past relationship, have you ever been cheated on by your partner? % who answer ‘yes’ .
- Atlantic 31%
- Quebec 18%
- Ontario 31%
- Prairies 30%
- Alberta 37%
- BC 36%
Source: Ipsos Reid survey on behalf of Alliance Atlantis, January 2004
Are Quebeckers more trusting, more committed or more clueless?
It might simply be because their definition of ‘cheating’ differs from that of Canadians in the ROC. They are least likely to consider ‘a secret dinner date’, ‘a kiss’, an ‘online/internet flirtation’ cheating. But they’ll agree with Canadians in the ROC that ‘an intimate physical encounter’ is cheating.
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