Remembrances of a Ukrainian Canadian Immigrant Farm Woman EXAMINING COMMITTEE
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HIDDEN ON THE FARM: REMEMBRANCES OF A UKRAINIAN CANADIAN IMMIGRANT FARM WOMAN Pamela J. Sinclair B.A., Simon Fraser University, 1989 THESIS SUBMllTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in the Faculty of Education @ Pamela J. Sinclair, 1996 SIMON FRASER UNJVERSJTY August 1996 All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission of the author. APPROVAL NAME Pamela Joan Sinclair DEGREE Master of Arts TITLE Hidden on the Farm: Remembrances of a Ukrainian Canadian Immigrant Farm Woman EXAMINING COMMITTEE: Chair Kieran Egan Celia Haig-Brown Senior Supervisor Janis Dawson Assistant Professor Member Dr. Betty Carter Associate Professor School of Social Work Universitv of British Columbia External Examiner PARTIAL COPYRIGHT LICENSE I hereby grant to Simon Fraser University the right to lend my thesis, project or extended essay (the title of which is shown below) to users of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single copies only for such users or in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its own behalf or for one of its users. I further agree that permission for multiple copying of this work for scholarly purposes may be granted by me or the Dean of Graduate Studies. It is understood that copying or publication of this work for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Title of Thesis/Project/Extended Essay Hidden on the Farm: Remembrances of a Ukrainian Canadian Immigrant Farm Woman Author: - - (Signature) Pamela Joan Sinclair (Name) ABSTRACT Until recently, there have been few published works on the roles women played in the settling of Canada. Mainstream historians have, for the most part, ignored women's roles as homesteaders, wives, mothers, and immigrant farmers. Women from marginalized groups with a vast array of their experiences, lived in the process of nation-building, have been rendered virtually invisible. The focus of this work is on my own grandmother, a Ukrainian-Canadian immigrant farm woman. My grandmother's stories illustrate the importance women had in the settlement of Canada. Their contributions have remained undervalued in historical records. This work provides the ethnohistorical record with the voice of a Ukrainian immigrant female. Such stories are unavailable in most historical archives. This study employs a particular form of case study - the life history. This approach builds on an individual's account of their own life situation. Using this approach, I met with my grandmother during the fall of 1988 to tape record conversations about her life. Her stories generated three general themes related to her understanding and perceptions of her experience as an immigrant farm woman. The first is related to her work which encompassed domestic labour and production labour on the farm, as well as paid employment when necessary. Secondly, she discussed issues that immigrant women still face today related to immigration policy, racism, and isolation. Finally, she discussed the importance of the extended family. Her stories illustrate that for immigrant farm women like her, there was no gendered division of labour on the farm in the way that we think of the division of labour today. The narratives of her experiences demonstrate the interrelationship of gender, class, and ethnicity experienced by my grandmother as a new immigrant - to Canada at the beginning of this century. ... 111 The implications of this work in education are related to two areas. The history curriculum at all levels should include the contributions immigrant women made in the settlement of Canada. School counsellors like myself who become aware of their own ethnic background can become more sensitive to the needs of children immigrating to Canada. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are numerous people who have supported, encouraged, and guided me throughout my work. My thanks go to Ian Whittaker who opened the door to the study of ethnohistory, where this journey began so many years ago. And to Michael Manley-Casimir who encouraged me to pursue my interest in my grandmother's story. Unending gratitude to Celia Haig-Brown, my senior supervisor, who motivated me especially at times when I doubted myself. Special thanks to Janis Dawson who acted as my second supervisor and encouraged me with my work. But, as many of us women know, a thesis is never written alone. We need our family's support to be able to achieve our academic goals. My undying love and admiration go to my grandmother about whose life I am writing. She opened her heart and soul to her granddaughter. We both shared some time in our lives that strengthened our bond across time and different ethnic backgrounds. My gratitude and thanks to my husband, son, and parents who helped keep the home fires burning during my long hours of study. A special thanks to my father who dusted off his Ukrainian, and translated his father's documents for me to read. Thanks also to Susan Grayholm who edited the thesis and my husband who was willing to reread after each draft. TABLE OF CONTENTS Approval ....................................................................................... Abstract ......................................................................................... Acknowledgement ........................................................................ Table of Contents ......................................................................... CHAPTER I. Introduction.............................................................. Problem .............................................................................. Comments on Language and Organization ........................ Format of the Study ............................................................ CHAPTER II. Research Methodology .......................................... Collecting Data ................................................................... Interviewer-Interview Relationship ...................................... Literature Reviews .............................................................. CHAPTER Ill. Review of the Literature Related to Feminist Theory .................................................... Domestic Unpaid Labour ..................................................... Farm Women and the Domestic Mode of Production.......... Farm Women and Production Labour .................................. Husbands and Wives Gender Relations on the Farm .................................. Complimentarity of Family and Farming.................... Impact of Domestic Labour on Farm Production....... Unequal Relations..................................................... Immigrant Women ............................................................... Impact of Government Policy.................................... Interrelationship of Gender, Class. and Ethnicity...... Isolation .............................................................................. Summary ............................................................................. CHAPTER IV . Review of the Literature on the Ukrainian Historical Context .................................................. Gender. Class. and Ethnicity Immigration............................................................... Government Policy................................................... Isolation.................................................................... Discrimination and Ethnicity..................................... Making Ends Meet Settler Interdependence........................................... Production Labour .................................................... Domestic Labour ...................................................... Husbands and Wives Marriage................................................................... Family Violence........................................................ Mothers and Children............................................... Mothers as Cultural Mediators and Education Education.................................................................. Mothers as Cultural Mediators.................................. CHAPTER V . In Her Own Words: Understanding My Grandmother's Stories............................................. Personal History................................................................... Immigration Government Policy .................................................... Settler Interdependence........................................... Getting Settled on the Homestead............................ Discrimination............................................................ Isolation.................................................................... Making Ends Meet.............................................................. Domestic Labour ...................................................... Production Labour .................................................... Changing Roles........................................................ Wage Labour ............................................................ Wives and Husbands Marriage.................................................................... Family Violence ......................................................... Women's Strength and Courage............................... Women's Health........................................................ Mothers and Children Mothering.................................................................. Pregnancy