Newcomer Strategic Negotiations of Religious/Secular Identities and Spaces Examining the Tension between Structure and Agency in Processes of Immigrant Settlement in Ottawa, Canada Stéphane Paquette Thesis submitted to The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Geography Department of Geography Faculty of Arts University of Ottawa © Stéphane Paquette, Ottawa, Canada, 2016 Table of Contents Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................... iii Résumé .......................................................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgments…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………............v Introduction .................................................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1 Literature Review .......................................................................................................................... 9 1.1 The role of religious organizations in newcomer settlement processes and experience .................. 10 1.2 Structure, agency and structuration theory …………………………………………...... .................................... 16 1.3 Performativity as a tool to examine the tension between structure/agency ………………………………….24 Chapter 2 Methods ....................................................................................................................................... 28 2.1 Case Study ........................................................................................................................................... 29 2.2 Key Informant Interviews .................................................................................................................... 30 2.3 Recruitment and Sample Population .................................................................................................. 31 2.3.1 Recruitment ................................................................................................................................. 31 2.3.2 Sample Population ....................................................................................................................... 32 2.3.3 Participant Profiles ....................................................................................................................... 33 2.4 Participant Observation …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………35 2.5 Semi-structured Interviews ................................................................................................................. 37 2.6 Mental Maps ....................................................................................................................................... 41 2.7 Data Analysis ....................................................................................................................................... 43 2.8 Positionality ......................................................................................................................................... 44 2.9 Limitations ........................................................................................................................................... 45 Chapter 3 Navigating Religious Organizations as Settlement Strategy ..................................................... 47 3.1 Access to Information and Guidance .................................................................................................. 48 3.2 Canadian Experience: Information, Employment and Volunteer Work ............................................. 53 3.3 Religious Organizations as Spaces of Cultural Learning and Adaptation ........................................... 60 3.4 Social Networks of Mutual Aid: Religious Motives, Secular Benefits ................................................. 65 3.5 Sense of Belonging, Friendship and Community ................................................................................ 68 3.6 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................... 72 Chapter 4 Gendered Participation within Religious Organizations and its Impact on Newcomer Settlement .................................................................................................................................................... 75 4.1 International Migration and the Re-negotiation of Gender Roles ...................................................... 77 4.1.1 Domestic Responsibilities ............................................................................................................ 78 4.1.2 Inclusion within Wage Labor and Public Sphere Activities .......................................................... 82 4.1.3 “Hybrid” Gender Roles ................................................................................................................. 84 4.2 Gender(ed) Roles and Attitudes: Religious Organizations as Spaces of Public Participation and Engagement .............................................................................................................................................. 87 4.2.1 Fostering Participation and Leadership through New Understandings of Gender Roles in Religious Organizations ......................................................................................................................... 87 4.2.2 Prevalent Attitudes Surrounding Masculinities and Femininities and their Impact on Religious Participation .......................................................................................................................................... 94 i 4.2.2.1 Attitudes Surrounding Femininities in Religious Organizations .......................................... 95 4.2.2.2 Attitudes Surrounding Masculinities in Religious Organizations ......................................... 99 4.3 Gendered Benefits of Religious Participation and Engagement in Newcomer Settlement ............. 103 4.4 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 109 Chapter 5 Performing Fluid Religious/Secular Identities as Settlement Strategy .................................. 111 5.1 International Migration and a New Religious Landscape ................................................................. 112 5.2 Negotiating religious/secular identities and spaces ........................................................................ 117 5.2.1 Religion in the Workspace ......................................................................................................... 118 5.2.2 Religion in a Diverse Religious Landscape ................................................................................. 121 5.2.3 Religion and Friendships ............................................................................................................ 123 5.2.4 Strategic Performances of Religious Identity ............................................................................. 126 5.3 Benefits of Fluid Performances of Religious Identity ........................................................................ 127 5.4 Fluidity of Religious/Secular Spaces: Dynamic Spatial Experiences .................................................. 131 5.4.1 Places of Social Gathering .......................................................................................................... 131 5.4.2 Religious Organizations .............................................................................................................. 132 5.5 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 135 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................................. 138 References .............................................................................................................................................. 144 Appendix A Participant Profiles…………………………………………………………………………………………………………152 Appendix B Individual Interview Guide ................................................................................................. 153 Appendix C Interview Coding Themes ................................................................................................... 156 Appendix D Coded Themes Table .......................................................................................................... 157 Appendix E Translated quotes ............................................................................................................... 158 Chapter 1 ................................................................................................................................................. 158 Chapter 2 ................................................................................................................................................. 166 Chapter 3 ................................................................................................................................................. 177 ii Abstract This research project proposes to examine the role of religious/secular identities and spaces in processes of newcomer settlement. By focusing