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Bell & How8il Information and Leaming 300 North Zseb Rd,Ann Arbor, MI 481û6-1346 USA Renegotiating Home and Idrnüty: Exprriences of Gujamti Immigrant Women in Subuibrn Montréal Roopa Nair ûeparbnent of Geography McGill University, Montréai Submitted April, 1998 A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial hiIfilment of the requirements of the degree of Maten of Arts O Roopa Nair 1998 National Library Bibliothèque nationale du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395. nie Wellington OttawaON K1AON4 Oaawa ON KIA ON4 canada CaMda The author has grauted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence ailowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distri'bute or seii reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microfonn, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts f?om it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or othemise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. This study examines the maning of home for 19 Hindu Gujarati immigrant women living in the Montréal subuhan municipalii of Dollarddes-ûmaux. Adopting a qualitative approach, this study redefines home as a rnulopie and dynamic concept, mfem'ng not only to îhe house but dso the homeland, neighbourhood, culturai community and even the abstract feeling of beknging or being 'at home.' While this study concentrates on the men'spresent homes and neighbourhoods, the idea of the home as being reinvented across a variety of spaces and social relationships is a central theme. Homaking is argued to be an evolving social pmcess that begins in the chiidhoad and marital homes in lndia and continues with the transition into new homes in Monheal. The house and home spaces (the neighbourhood and cultural community) are sites where multiple dimensions of the wmen's identities are given a voice and reinvented. The women define the character of the home spaces, and also negotiate culture, etfinicity and identity within them. Through the construction of hybrid cultural identities, the women are able to make themselves and their families 'at home' belween cultures. This study points to cumplex and sometimes paradoxical meanings of home, and emphasizes the significance of the suburban, rather than inner city. quality of home-making and adaptation processes among immigrant women in Montréal. Ce mémoire examine la signification don* au concept de 'maison' ou du 'chez-soi' par dix-neuf (19) femmes immigrantes Gujaraü qui demeurent dans la municipalité de dellarddes-Ormeaux dans la banlieue de Montréal. En suivant l'approche guaMative, cette étude redéfini la maison en tant que concept multiple et dynamique, se référant non seulement a l'élément batil mais aussi B la patrie, à la communauté culhidie et même au sentiment abstrait d'appartenance ou d'être chez soi. Bien que cette étude se concentre sur les maisons et les quartiers actuels de ces femmes, l'idée que le concept de maison soit réinventé a baven une multitude d'espaces et de relations sociales est un theme centrai. Créer un chez4 est un processus dynamique qui dW dans la maison d'enfance et maritale en Inde, et qui se transforme lors de la transition les domiciles montréalais. Les espaces de la maison et du chez-soi (induant le quartier et la communauté culturelle) sont des lieux ou les dimensions multiples d'une identité sont arüculeés et réinventées. Les femmes définissent le caractère des lieux de leur maison, et négocient aussi leur culture. leur qualité ethnique et leur identité. Par la construction d'une identité culturelle hybride, une femme est capable de rendre sa famille et elk-même 'chez soi' entre la culture d'origine et la culture d'accueil. Cette étude désigne les significations complexes et parfois paradoxales du concept de maison et souligne i'impartance de la banlieue, plutôt que le centreville, la qualité de la création d'un chez-soi et les processus d'adaptation parmi les femmes immigrantes a Montréal. AcknOW(~ I would like to extend my simere appmiation to my research advisor, Professor Brian Ray, for his guidance, constniclive cnticism. and especially his patience, support and encouragement. I mnild also like to thank Professor Sherry Olson, a member of my supe~sory cornmittee. Her valuable and insghîful mments were indispensabîe b my research. My heartfelt thanks go out to a nurnbet of people who pmvided assistance and support during the cornpletion of this project. Veena Gujarati, Sadeqa Sicldiqui. Sanjukta Das Gupta, Ama Hyatt and al1 the other memben of the South Asian Women's Community Centre of Monbéal who introduced me to several rnembers of the Gujarati cammunity and spoke with me at length on the status of women in South Asian families, Purvi Dave for helping me translate Gujarati expressions and for helping me make contact with women living in DoIladdes-Ormeaux, Andrea Doucet-Donida for translating my abstract, Hugues Lapointe for helping me with my computer, Jason Gilliland for passing me usehl articles on housing, Colleen Ayoup for photography advice and Lamüblik for her help with Grapher. Thanks also to Karin Braidwood, Angie Mansi, Anne Kendrick and Maria Marcone for their administrative assistance and to Carol Marley for letting me use Maplnfo after houn. There are many people who contributed in tems of time, patience, understanding and friendship to whom I would like to extend my great appreciation and gratitude, Joanne Cooper, Douglas Opseth, and especially my mother and father. I am especially grateful to Deepa Nair, Samantha Anderson and Anna Pelosi for their encouraging words of wisdorn, editing, advice and faith. A special thanks to Matthew Letts for reading through my work, for his encouragement and his endless love and suppoh Finally, my hearlfelt gratitude goes to the wamen who agreed to be interviewed for this study, who invited me into their homes and let me spend time with them on bsth format and informai occasions. It is the stories of their Iives and experienœs while trying to make a home for themselves in Montréal that have made this study possible. Again, I thank them. Funding for this thesis was provided. in part, through the John Bradbury Award. Abstract.. ................................................................................................................. J : Resume...................................................................................~......-....................... .ii ..* Acknowledgements.. ................................................................................................. -111 Table of Contents.. .................................................................................................... iv List of Tables and Figures.......................................................................................... vii Chapter One - Introduction.................................................... .,.. .............................. 1 Montreal Context .......................................................................................... ..6 DDO Setting.................................................................................................. 7 Objectives................................................................................................... 10 The Changing 'Place' of Home. and Transforming Social Idenbks. ......................................................................... 11 From Static to Dynamic: Multiple and Evolving Meanings of Home.. ............................................................... 12 The Emergence of the Concept Home.. ....................................... 12 Home as a Physical Dwelling. .................................................. ..I 3 Home as Metaphor.. ................................................................ 16 Feminist Readings of Home.. ........................ .... ............................. -20 History of Home: Recognizing Different Home Experiences. .....................................................20 Feminist Rejections of Home.. ................................................................................ ..22 Positive Meanings of