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The Jesuit Mission among the Huron: How Were They Successful? (abstract)
No full textWhen the European colonization of North America began, Christian missionaries were among the first groups to travel to the New World with the intention of converting the indigenous populations. Christianity is often viewed as an aggressive affront to indigenous customs and religions during the colonization period. However, the Jesuit mission among the Huron became one of the most successful missions of the time, and their success was due, in large part, to their method of presenting the Gospel within the framework of Huron customs. Based on an analysis of primary and secondary sources, I suggest that there are reasons on both the Jesuit and the Huron sides that explain this apparent spiritual success. The Jesuits’ skill in communicating with the Huron, their willingness to live among them and learn their customs, as well as their compassion for them all contributed to the success of the Jesuit mission. The Hurons, for their part, were particularly open to the teachings the Jesuits imparted. This relationship suggests that, although Christianity was certainly a large part of colonization, not all Christian missionary groups condemned local cultures and customs, but sometimes presented Christianity within the local cultural framework
Victorians Abroad: Travellers, Tourists, Adventurers (abstract)
No full textScholars studying British history agree that travel was made more accessible in the nineteenth century and travel by train is held to be one of the main reasons for the increased numbers of British travellers, both locally and internationally. However, I argue that it was not just the rise of the railway system that encouraged Britons to travel. Indeed, I believe curiosity about travel embedded itself in Victorian culture through literature, advertisements, and adventure stories. Using extensive online archival resources, I critically examine primary sources that discuss, or are relevant to, travel in the nineteenth century. Through an analysis of newspaper articles, journal entries, and travel handbooks and guidebooks, I show how the abundant resources available during the mid to late nineteenth century awakened in Victorians a wanderlust for travel, and helped Britain to become recognized as a nation of travellers
Why Is Germany Threatening the European Union? (abstract)
No full textGermany’s 2011 decision to close its nuclear stations and phase out nuclear power in the country triggered joy, as well as upset, among activists and politicians worldwide, especially those in Europe. Though driven by domestic political interests, the decision nonetheless holds multiple consequences for the European Union (EU). In this study, I propose that phasing out nuclear power in Germany will have three important repercussions: Germany’s neighbours will experience additional pressure because sources of renewable energies are not yet fully in place; levels of CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions will increase; and the European Union will become even more dependent on its energy suppliers, notably Russia. I suspect that this decision was made without collaboration with other European nations. Germany’s phase-out of nuclear power represents either an opportunity for the European Union to reform or poses a threat to the stability of its divided membership
A Lasting Riot: Controversy and Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring
Get PDFThe Rite of Spring has consistently been depicted as an epoch-making piece of music and is often described as the most influential musical work of the twentieth century. No mention of the piece is complete without drawing attention to its scandalous premiere as a ballet in Paris on May 29, 1913, which ended in a riot. The work continues to be controversial in a variety of ways today. Academics disagree on several fronts: was the controversy surrounding the original performance due to the choreography rather than the music? How quickly did the audience response change from derision to congratulation? Does the Rite of Spring really break from the past or does it demonstrate significant continuity with other compositions? Does the work respect theories of composition and can it be analyzed theoretically? And, intriguingly, is Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring an amoral work that celebrates inhumanity? Answers to these questions are proposed, based on the analysis of reviews of the early performances, as well as on academic writing about the work over several decades. The questions are further related to a review of a performance of the work in Toronto (2012). While the Rite of Spring may have a lessened ability to shock modern audiences, its vitality and controversial nature remain as dramatic as ever
Towers of Power: An Empirical Analysis of Toronto’s Central Business District
Get PDFOver the past sixty years, Toronto’s Central Business District (CBD) has become home to an ever-increasing densification of corporate office towers. Accessibility, control, power, and securitization of property has developed through the post-industrial evolution of the built environment, resulting in the exclusion of some individuals. This paper, through theoretical analysis and empirical data collection, argues that unequal access to privatized public spaces within the CBD’s office towers, outdoor plazas, and the underground PATH system reinforces class distinction and capitalist hegemony. The qualitative empirical data used within this paper were collected through observational site visits of twelve corporate office towers and plazas in Toronto’s CBD, as well as the PATH system. Through the analysis of these spaces, this paper concludes that the built environment of the CBD serves only the needs of the dominant capitalist and middle/upper-middle classes. The class distinctions and capitalist hegemony written into these built environments are reinforced through social, cultural, and physical controls of space. On a larger scale, the spatial exclusion of marginalized individuals within the urban environment speaks to a greater social and spatial inequality within the city, suggesting the need to re-evaluate systems of social, economic, and political power
I Am Not Your Mammy: Media Role Models, Size Discrimination, and “Fat” Black Women in the Workforce
Get PDFThis paper deals with the issue of equity in the workplace and particularly with size discrimination against “fat” Black women. The 1984 publication of Judge Rosalie Abella’s report on equity in the workplace is the initial foundation of my research. The report found that race is a significant factor contributing to structured inequality among different ethnic groups in Canada. However, the report did not list size as a discriminating factor in the way that certain individuals were treated compared to their colleagues. Additionally, the topic of discrimination against size (sizeism, weightism, anti-fat prejudice, weight stigma, etc.) and the effects that this can have on employment equity has not received sufficient attention in scholarly literature relating to equity in the workplace
The Influence of Sexual Orientation and Fear on Women's Mobility in the Built Urban Environment at Night (abstract)
Get PDFWomen are frequent targets of violence in the night-time city. This can cause a fear of night and of urban space and can also affect mobility: women may avoid spaces perceived to be dangerous and may be drawn to other spaces thought to be safe. This fear can also impact individuals on a behavioural level, such as changing one’s appearance in order to seem less attractive in an attempt to avoid being a target of violence. This case study explores the issue of urban violence by asking the following question: does sexual orientation influence women’s spatial mobility, motivated by fear, in the built urban environment at night? Research was carried out in downtown Toronto, a city with a prosperous night-time economy and well-known issues of safety. A sample of ten women, five straight and five gay, were selected, with as much homogeneity among respondents as possible in terms of ethnicity, age, social class, area of residence, familiarity with the built environment, and primary method of transportation, in order to identify the influence of sexual identity and fear on mobility. The study reveals a variety of types and sources of fear, mobility patterns, and coping mechanisms among respondents, and suggests that a masculine built urban environment does not address women’s needs. Lesbian women are an intriguing, and often overlooked, group to study as they are the victims of much hate crime. In addition to fearing rape by a male figure, they also carry the burden of fear of homophobic crime
Female Youth in Prostitution: The Violence, the Law, and the Solution? (abstract)
No full textThe purpose of this paper is to examine female youth prostitution and outline the abuse young prostitutes suffer throughout North America. I review the various ways in which young female prostitutes experience violence, and refer to current scholarly literature to address the following questions: What theoretical frameworks apply to female youth prostitution? How does prostitution affect young women and girls? To what extent has the law been successful in reducing the violence associated with prostitution? What societal or structural changes need to take place in order to eradicate female youth prostitution? What strategies for change have been employed thus far? This paper summarizes key information about female youth prostitution and why it continues to pervade North American society, and offers insights into what must occur in order for youth prostitution to be eliminated
The Ethics of Honey Production in Canada: A Political-Ecological Analysis (abstract)
No full textThis research paper presents a critique of conventional honey production methods used in Canada by examining the ways in which these practices contribute to four problems related to honey bee health and four considerations related to the economic well-being of beekeepers. Using a political-ecological approach rooted in agricultural ethics, three methods of ecological honey production—Canadian Organic Standard, Local Food Plus Honey Protocol, and Demeter Biodynamic Standards—are compared against the conventional methods in a comparative analysis related to honey bee health and beekeeper economic considerations. Using the framework for transitioning to sustainable agriculture developed by Hill and MacRae (1995), the ecological production methods are ranked according to the three stages of production outlined in the framework: efficiency, substitution, and redesign. The paper concludes with a discussion of redesign approaches and explores the potential for improvement in addressing the particularities of ecological honey production in the Canadian context
