This thesis describes the role of Spanish as a common language in the construction of social networks among the diverse Spanish-speaking population of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Analysis of the data confirms the low public visibility of the community observed initially, despite the even larger numbers of Spanish speakers living in the city than initially estimated. The communitys relatively low level of coherence and its minimal presence in the public sphere can be explained by two main factors: an exceptional degree of diversity among members (described in terms of national, religious, political, socio-economic and ethnic variations), and a set of ambivalent attitudes regarding the relative value of Hispanic culture. This communitys public anonymity is also discussed as related to the larger realities of Canadas official policy of multiculturalism and popular discourses of Hispanidad in Anglo-Canadian mainstream culture.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:AEU.10048/811 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Benschop, Diana |
| Contributors | Daveluy, Michelle (Anthropology), Forth, Gregory (Anthropology), Potvin, Claudine (Modern Languages and Cultural Studies) |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 833807 bytes, application/pdf |
| Relation | 2009, Canadian Anthropological Society Annual Meeting (CASCA), Vancouver, BC, 2009, Engaging Communities: Graduate Sociology Conference, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB |
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