Stories from Montreal 6 Stories from Montreal 6 Ethnographic Accounts of Life in North America’s Francophone Metropolis Angelina Leggo, Mona Magalhaes & Valerie Webber Editors Tulipe Press Montreal TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements 6 Introduction ............ Angelina Leggo & Valerie Webber 7 Introduction © 2011 Angelina Leggo & Valerie Webber Chapter 1 © 2011 Ekaterina Ksenofontova Lifestyle, Belief and Politics: Negotiating the Self Chapter 2 © 2011 Catherine St-Hilaire Chapter 3 © 2011 Bernard Oppliger Negotiating the Future in Montreal: A Case Study of the Social Chapter 4 © 2011 Danielle Riome and Cultural Role of Astrology in an Urban Setting Chapter 5 © 2011 Angelina Leggo ....................... ......................... Ekaterina Ksenofontova 11 Chapter 6 © 2011 Mona Magalhaes Chapter 7 © 2011 Jade Cambron Religious Clothing: Its importance in Montréal Sikhism Chapter 8 © 2011 Valerie Webber ....................................................... Catherine St-Hilaire 31 First published 2011 A New Breed of Warriors ................... Bernard Oppliger 45 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher. Movement and Migration: Identities in Motion The content of each chapter of this book is the sole responsibility of the respective author. Surf’s Up:Couchsurfing and Questions of Cultural Capital, Authenticity and Hospitality ................. Danielle Riome 61 National Library of Canada From Gaspé to Montreal: An Analysis of the Push and Pull ISBN 978-0-88947-499-4 of Migration .......................................... Angelina Leggo 79 Tulipe Press Vouloir c’est Pouvoir: Migrant Identity and Cultural Perception Department of Sociology and Anthropology through French Language Learning in Montreal Concordia University 1455 de Maisonneuve Boulevard West ........................................................... Mona Magalhaes 95 Montreal, Québec, Canada H3G 1M8 Sexualities: Taking out the Ball-Gag Book cover design by Erin Faye Jasiura Book cover photo and interior portrait sketches by Ekaterina Ksenofontova HIV 101:Education and Prevention as a means of Permission has been acquired for all images published in this volume Humanizing HIV .......................... ........... Jade Cambron 117 Copy edited by Daniela Smith-Fernandez Layout Design by Umberto Cirrito Mononormativity and the Bedroom Closet: Negotiating Printed in Canada by Caïus du livre Consensual Nonmonogamy in Non-Communal Settings Funded by ............................................................... Valerie Webber 133 Contributors and Editorial Committee 152 (5) INTRODUCTION As a city forever shifting, Montreal will always provide fertile ground for young ethnographers to sink their shovels and hands into. It is the dynamic nature of this urban setting that draws so many of us here, and it is the excitement of what may come that holds our gaze. As this ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS volume of Stories from Montreal shows, the undergraduate anthropolo - gist’s imagination is never for want here, and the eight articles found The contributors to Stories from Montreal 6 would like to take herein offer unique and particular glimpses into some of the lesser the opportunity to thank all of those who have helped to produce known aspects of what it means to examine humankind in the here and this volume. Without the support and participation of many volun - now. The productions of these students also show that Concordia con - teers, this volume would not have been possible. tinues to support and engage vibrant minds in their quest for unortho - We would like to thank all the authors who put so much effort dox knowledge. into their papers and whose dedication has created this volume. We To begin, we ground ourselves with the belief systems of two dif - also extend our thanks to Dr. Sima Aprahamian, whose Anthropo- ferent Montreal cultures. Ekaterina Ksenofontova illuminates the oft- logy class on Field Research (ANTH 315) inspired the ethnographic misunderstood realm of modern day astrology, which is alive and well analyses found herein and whose commitment, guidance and moral in Montreal. Through her in-depth examination of three long- support has helped to prepare these essays for publication. practicing astrologers, she unearths their inspiration: the foundations, Further, we extend a heart-felt acknowledgment of the contri - mo tivations, and goals of astrology, not as a fatalistic guide to pre-destined bution and effort of Maike Storks, the editor-in-chief of the previous fortune but as a map to self-understanding and self-determination. volume, who guided us in the process and who has provided contin - Catherine St-Hilaire then takes us on a journey into the religious uing encouragement. significance of Sikh clothing in a country where religious symbols have We would like to acknowledge the many Concordia groups and political connotations. By examining the use and meaning of Sikh sym - associations who have helped us to fund the production of Stories bolic clothing, she reveals how the reasonable accommodation policy of from Montreal 6; notably the Sociology and Anthropology Student Canada applies to communities in Montreal, increases awareness of Union (SASU), the Arts and Sciences Federation Association (ASFA), differing perspectives on the wearing of the kirpan and realizes that the Concordia Student Union (CSU) and the Concordia University being Sikh in Montreal is commonly believed to be an easier task here Alumni Association (CUAA). We appreciate their continued support than in India. of student endeavours; by aiding undergraduate students to publish, Recognizing the similar alterative powers between martial arts com - you enrich the study and development of anthropology. munities and religious encounters, Bernard Oppliger then traces his per - sonal discovery of the transformative potential of ninjutsu . In this Angelina Leggo & Valerie Webber descriptive ethnography, he takes readers upon his journey of self-dis - covery and change, arguing that the martial arts community begins with the relationship between a student and a teacher and builds into a sup - portive network of “warriors” who seek to “see how well you can fight.” Movement, migration, and travel are all intricately tied to self-iden - tification. The various motives entailed, as well as strategies adopted, depend on a complex intersection of where one is from and where they Stories from Montreal 6 (6) (7) hope to go. Danielle Riome explores the growing ‘couchsurfing’ move - Valerie Webber then explores the commonalities in a not-so- ment, where strangers open their doors to travellers on a budget or common culture. Her interviews with non-monogamous couples shine those looking f or that unique experience of an unknown place. She light upon the reality that mononormativity, the assumption that examines how couchsurfing is both a form of cultural capital and a monogamy is the best and only way, is not only misguided but blatantly desire to experience the cultures of others by traveling and hosting. harmful as well . By looking specifically at non-monogamists who are Dispelling some conceptions of couchsurfing derived from previous not part of a more cohesive polyamorous or swinger culture, she seeks anthropological works, Danielle distinguishes this practice from to show that even when residing in disparate communities, non- tourism while identifying the many reasons that motivate its use and monogamists often find similar benefits, difficulties and stigmas attached how it creates what she terms “a good story.” to their sexual and romantic lives. Angelina Leggo approaches migration from a very personal posi - The Stories from Montreal team sincerely hopes you enjoy this hard tion: her o wn. Through her auto-ethnography she complicates the earned journey through Montreal and its environs through the eyes of myth that rural to urban migration consists purely of pull factors to the burgeoning anthropologist. the big city. Her journey back and forth from the Gaspé sets the stage for an analysis of the tumultuous negotiations involved in what is essentially a journey to find the self and a comfortable place to house and nurture that self. She develops an argument showing that both one’s home and the area they migrate to contain push and pull fac - tors that must be navigated in order for a move to be successful. Essentially, she realized that one must be able to “live in both worlds”, maintaining aspects of home and integrating them into one’s new space of living. When migrating to Montreal, unique factors present themselves due to the linguistic diversity of the city and the province’s commit - ment to the francization of non-French speaking immigrants. Intrigued by the notion of language as cultural identity, Mona Magalhaes explores migrant attitudes toward and motivations for learning French, the language of their host country. Through inter - views with migrant students and participant observation in a French language course in Montreal, she examines how the process of lan - guage acquisition interplays with the formation of cultural identity and influences migrant views of Québécois society. In the third and final section of this book, it is sexuality that falls under the lens. Jade Cambron offers a succinct explanation of HIV, a virus that has fallen out of the spotlight but is all too present de - spite appearances. This educational piece, drawn from her expe- rience as a volunteer at a local HIV organization, is