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Diaspora's Dialect: Cultural Exchange and the Transformation of Jamaican Patois in the Greater Toronto Area

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Diaspora’s Dialect: Cultural Exchange and the Transformation of Jamaican Patois in the Greater Toronto Area by Raven-Paige Wilkinson A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Communication Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario © 2019, Raven-Paige Wilkinson Abstract Patois, the unofficial language of Jamaica, has been hybridized since its inception due to the slavery, violence, and subversion that took place during colonialism, and is thus influenced by various cultures, styles, and identities. Over time, its significance has surpassed the borders of the Caribbean and influenced numerous localities such as the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), which has incorporated many aspects of Jamaican culture and language. As such, this project asks, in what ways is Patois, a language long used to define Jamaican culture, now contributing to cultures in locations abroad, through various processes and connections? Using an online survey and interviews, this empirical project weaves postcolonial thought together with cultural studies and personal narratives to provide new insights on the ways in which Patois has connected Jamaica with the Toronto community, and what it means for a language to transform significantly throughout space and time. This research contributes a fresh perspective to the wider discourse on social and cultural exchange in the modern age. i Acknowledgements I would like to thank my supervisor, Professor Merlyna Lim for her guidance and support throughout my thesis. When I took her class the year prior to starting my thesis, I was exposed to numerous critical thinkers, theories, and concepts that have played a significant role in my understanding and development of my research project. As my supervisor, she has helped to demystify thesis writing and demonstrated the ways in which I can make my project original and personal, while still adhering to the expectations of the program. I would also like to thank Professor Karim Karim, my second reader, for contributing new perspectives and helping to refine the final draft. I am also thankful to have received the SSHRC award, which has not only helped me financially, but to also feel more confident in my academic work. Finally, I would like to thank my close loved ones, especially my mom, for their continued love, encouragement, and support throughout this journey. ii Table of Contents Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................... i Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................................... ii Table of Contents ....................................................................................................................................... iii List of Tables ............................................................................................................................................. vii List of Appendices .................................................................................................................................... viii Toronto Slang Glossary ........................................................................................................................... viii Chapter 1: Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background and Research Question ....................................................................................... 1 1.2 Significance of Research ......................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Outline of Project .................................................................................................................... 3 Chapter 2: Review of the Literature ...................................................................................................... 4 2.1 Theoretical Framework ........................................................................................................... 4 2.2 Creolization and Hybridity ...................................................................................................... 7 2.2.1 Creolization. ................................................................................................................... 8 2.2.2 Hybridity. ....................................................................................................................... 9 2.3 Language and Power ............................................................................................................. 13 2.4 Identity and Diaspora ............................................................................................................ 19 2.4.1 Présence Africaine and Présence Européenne: origins of identity. .............................. 20 2.4.2 Présence Americain: migration, diaspora, and culture ................................................. 24 2.4.2.1 Migration and culture ............................................................................................... 25 2.4.2.2 Visibility of Patois in Toronto slang and culture ..................................................... 28 2.5 Research Gaps and Recent Related Studies .......................................................................... 31 Chapter 3: Methodological Framework .............................................................................................. 35 3.1 Methods ................................................................................................................................. 37 iii Chapter 4: Findings and Analysis ........................................................................................................ 41 4.1 Survey Findings .................................................................................................................... 41 4.2 Interview Findings ................................................................................................................ 45 4.3 Data Analysis ........................................................................................................................ 50 4.3.1 Connections to and views of Jamaican culture ............................................................. 51 4.3.1.1 Summary .................................................................................................................. 53 4.3.2 Characteristics of a contagious language ...................................................................... 54 4.3.2.1 Number of people ..................................................................................................... 55 4.3.2.2 Sound and expression ............................................................................................... 57 4.3.2.3 Origin of the language .............................................................................................. 60 4.3.2.4 Summary .................................................................................................................. 62 4.3.3 Is Toronto slang unique? .............................................................................................. 63 4.3.3.1 Multiculturalism ....................................................................................................... 63 4.3.3.2 Toronto culture versus elsewhere ............................................................................. 66 4.3.3.3 Summary .................................................................................................................. 70 4.3.4 Using slang: ownership and appropriation ................................................................... 72 4.3.4.1 Authenticity of use ................................................................................................... 73 4.3.4.2 Ambivalence towards modern media influences...................................................... 78 4.3.4.3 Acknowledgement of Jamaican culture ................................................................... 80 4.3.4.4 Summary .................................................................................................................. 82 4.3.5 Stigma around slang ..................................................................................................... 83 4.3.5.1 Summary .................................................................................................................. 89 4.3.6 Hybridity 2.0................................................................................................................. 90 4.3.6.1 Summary .................................................................................................................. 93 4.3.7 Community and belonging ........................................................................................... 94 4.3.7.1 Coolness ................................................................................................................... 95 4.3.7.2 Friendships and nostalgia ......................................................................................... 96 4.3.7.3 Online connections and communities ...................................................................... 97 iv 4.3.7.4 Finding their people ............................................................................................... 101 4.3.7.5 Summary ...............................................................................................................
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