Equitable opportunity for participation in environmental decision-making is central to arguments for environmental justice, yet remains an under-explored area in the literature. This thesis investigates engagement on environmental health issues in the Latin American community of Toronto. Drawing on an environmental justice framework, the objective of this study was to better understand barriers and facilitators to environmental action in this community, while exploring underlying definitions of environmental health, environmentalism, and community engagement. In-depth interviews were carried out with representatives of agencies serving the Latin American community; qualitative data from focus groups and interviews with community members was also used. Results identify social inequality and the whiteness of the mainstream environmental movement as pervasive barriers to participation, and suggest the utility of linking environmental and social justice concerns for community mobilization. The findings of this research contribute to an emerging discourse on environmental justice and racism in Canada.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TORONTO/oai:tspace.library.utoronto.ca:1807/24571 |
| Date | 26 July 2010 |
| Creators | Gibson-Wood, Hilary |
| Contributors | Wakefield, Sarah |
| Source Sets | University of Toronto |
| Language | en_ca |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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