1996/97 PCERII Funded Research Abstract

Research Title: Ethnic Diversity and persistence in Canada: Metropolis Variations in Immigrant Adjustment

Research Team:

• Dr. Madeline Kalbach (University of Calgary) - Principal Investigator
• Dr. Warren Kalbach (University of Calgary)

Research Domain(s): Economic; Social

Canadian society is a product of both its bilingual and bicultural roots, and its adjustment to the increasing flow of non-European immigrants to Canada since World War II. The changing ethnic balance of the population as a whole and the increasing concentration of recent immigrants into a few of Canada’s largest metropolitan centres raises questions as to the ways in which these more recent and ethnically diverse arrivals are being incorporated into Canadian society and conversely to what extent ethnicity tends to persist among Canada’s ethnic origin groups during the process. Canada’s multiculturalism policy stands in contrast to its "Anglo-conformity" policies of the past, and the "Melting-pot" assimilation model of the United States. Nevertheless, the underlying issue remains as to which integration/assimilation model best fits the actual experience of Canada’s various ethnic origin populations and the extent to which adaptive patterns of the more recent and visible ethnic minority groups differ from those of the European origin immigrants in Canada’s census metropolitan areas. Particular attention will be paid to differences between the major CMAs, i.e., Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, and the five smaller Prairie CMAs of Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, Saskatoon and Winnipeg.

This research is based on the 1991 and 1996 Censuses and is designed to provide more succinct answers to specific questions regarding the current nature of Canada as a multicultural society within an official bilingual context and the changing character of Canada’s ethnic minority groups. In addition, it will reveal the extent and nature of their integration and assimilation, or conversely, the levels of cultural maintenance and relative persistence of ethnic group identity, or ethnic "connectiveness" in Canada’s 3 major Census Metropolitan Areas and the 5 major Prairie CMAs. More specifically, the objectives of this research are to determine the following:

1. the extent and degree of variations in ethnic composition and diversity and patterns of ethnic group dominance in the 8 metropolitan areas.
2. the extent and degree of cultural differences between and within ethnic populations for the 8 CMAs.
3. the extent and degree of structural differences between and within ethnic populations for the 8 CMAs.
4. the degree of cultural retention and "ethnic-connectedness," of Canada's minority groups, as revealed by their religious, nativity, and language characteristics, and their relationship to propensities for intermarriage and residential segregation within Canada’s major metropolitan centres.
5. patterns of intermarriage and their theoretical significance for the assimilation of ethnic or cultural minority groups in Canada’s CMAs.
6. variations in ethnic community boundaries as reflected in patterns of residential segregation based on ethnic origin, birthplace, and language characteristics, and their meaning vis-a-vis the nature of ethnic groups and community within CMAs.