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Urban Choreographics: Tracing the Extralinguistic Pedagogies of Montreal’s Underground Metro System
Get PDFIn North American cityscapes commuters must perform a specific set of gestures in order to efficiently move through and around public architectural spaces. The mass adoption of these gestures represents a form of extra-institutional learning facilitated by the choreographic characteristics of everyday architectural spaces. The urbanite’s quotidian movement through the built environment may then inform their understanding of what normative movement looks and feels like. The purpose of this research-creation thesis is to investigate how adult human cognition and epistemic formation is affected by bodily movement through contemporary urban architectural spaces. Locally there are few spaces where the procedural nature of city architecture is felt more than when using the underground public transportation network. For this reason, the Société de Transport de Montréal’s (STM’s) subterranean metro stations are the focal site of this inquiry. Using ethnographic (experimental field recordings and naturalistic observation) and arts-based methods (inconspicuous public performance and long-exposure film photography) this performance ethnography identified and analyzed recurrent patterns and rhythmic structures of Montreal’s underground architectures which cause these spaces to be propulsive for some and disabling for others. The findings of this qualitative study emphasized the hypervisibility of those whose bodies are dissociated from the rhythms of “normative” movement in these spaces. Though further studies are needed to draw a causal relationship between human cognition and the public spaces they inhabit, this thesis demonstrates the potential of arts-based research to create an output which mediates metric measurement and one’s embodied experiences of space for the purposes of research and critical reflection
The Way to the Hills
No full textThe Way to the Hills is a novella exploring themes of loss, and of being lost. It chronicles five months in the life of Laura, a middle-aged woman who grows obsessed with finding both a reason, and a solution, to her inability to orient herself in space after her mother’s death, and her divorce. As Laura’s physical and psychological disorientation increases, manifesting itself as aimless wandering, insomnia, guilt feelings, and a strong pull towards her youth, she becomes dangerously detached from her immediate surroundings. The novella, set in present-day Montreal with several flashbacks to Northern Italy in the Eighties, eventually answers Laura’s enigma about orientation, but ends opening up the possibility that, maybe, being lost is just part of life
Intergenerational Memory of the Troubles North Belfast: Growing up in the Shadow of the Unresolved Past.
Get PDFThis thesis is a historical examination of the multi-layered processes of memory transmission in post-Troubles Northern Ireland. The focus is primarily Ardoyne, a working-class and traditionally Catholic Nationalist Republican enclave in North Belfast, segregated along sectarian lines from the Protestant Unionist Loyalist community of Woodvale. Ardoyne has historically experienced the divisions, sectarian violence, death, and displacement during the Troubles, and it has more recently experienced the ambivalent implications of “peace.” To understand these enduring histories, this thesis centres on forty oral history interviews with members of the Ardoyne, Greater Shankill and also Rathcoole and Ballynafeigh communities to examine how we remember, how memory is communicated, and finally, how memory is transmitted to the ceasefire generations.
Building on the theoretical insights of historians, memory studies scholars and oral historians, this thesis analyses the specific contours of conflict memory by considering the voices of the “ceasefire generation” in conversation with the voices of older generations who directly experienced widespread violence. To hear these voices together illuminates the everyday mechanisms of memory transmission and the subsequent outcomes on issues of culture, belonging, and identity as they have transformed since the conflict.
Applying the methodology of oral history to examine and engage with emotions and senses in the process of remembering, this thesis pushes the boundaries of Troubles-related knowledge further by considering how fear, anxiety, and loss can shape the type of stories told, or not told. Through an examination of place, commemoration, private memories, cultural histories and identity, the connections between the past and present are illuminated in the go-along interviews. The shadow of the unresolved past casts itself over the present as living memory in the historical context of violence and division. The stories elicited from the oral history interviews highlight the normalisation of conflict and bring some of those stories to light. The thesis presents hopeful conclusions on the role of the ceasefire generation as political actors and the role they will continue to play in shaping the future of Northern Ireland through an engagement and consideration of the past whilst continuing to move forward as memory activists
Co-variates of Multimodal Accessibility in Canadian Cities
Get PDFAccessibility has become one of the predominant ways of understanding the relationship between transportation and land use in urban areas. Traditional measures of accessibility understand it unimodally or comparatively, without consideration of the dynamics of a multimodal transportation system. Multimodal, or mode share weighted accessibility (MWA) measures, take into account observed mode shares of the underlying geographic units and apply them to the accessibility to employment provided by that mode share. The individual MWA values are then added to give a singular MWA value. In this research MWA models are created for over 20 Canadian census metropolitan areas. They’re presented at regional and census tract levels, where the latter are then used in regression models to understand correlations that exist between MWA and socioeconomic and demographic factors. Inferential statistics are used to estimate differences in means of the socioeconomic and demographic variables of the top and bottom quintiles of MWA in every region. Many of the socioeconomic factors were found to be significantly corelated with MWA, with higher MWA values being associated with higher median household incomes, lower proportions of renters, and typically lower population density and lower proportions of visible minorities and immigrants. This is the first study to use multimodal accessibility models to understand the relationships between accessibility and socioeconomic factors across large- and medium-sized metropolitan regions in Canada
Democracy’s Challenges: A Comprehensive Analysis of Political Support in Quebec and Canada
Get PDFWhile democratic support has been studied for decades, focusing on major cross-national trends and generalizations in public opinion has produced rather elusive conclusions on the overall state of democracy and its most pressing challenges or shortcomings. This is due, in part, to the lack of in-depth data that would allow us to parse out the complexities of citizens’ opinions about their democracies.
This project begins to fill this gap, through the collection of large sample surveys conducted in Quebec in 2012 and 2014 and across Canada in 2017, under the Political Communities Survey Project (PCSP), while also drawing comparative baseline data from other large-scale national and international data sources. The purpose of the analyses in this project is to use these Canadian data as a starting point to map out political support both systemically (across the political system) and systematically (through the analysis of multiple indicators, testing several competing theoretical explanations for variations in support).
The primary contribution of this project is the presentation of a more finely tuned, granular approach to the holistic understanding of perceptions of the democratic political system, one that may be drawn upon in the future by researchers interested in political support as well as by those seeking to address any democratic deficits that may exist.
The approach presented in this project should, over the long term, produce the kinds of conclusions necessary to generate more targeted, adaptive solutions. For instance, the analyses illustrate that the ways in which citizens perceive those in power to be performing are key in understanding waning support, that public cynicism runs deep, and that superficial performance improvements may not be enough to remedy more deep-seated negative perceptions. The findings also reveal that complex identity patterns further complicate the support problem. In other words, any efforts aimed at addressing political support will require more targeted and sophisticated response strategies, informed by studies that pay careful attention to the entire political system (on a variety of aspects, using different assessment types) as well as to perspectives that are not generalizable (from different groups, across various sub-contexts)
Interactive effects of institutional pressures and internal fit on safety management system (SMS) implementation and safety performance in the global aviation context
Get PDFUnderstanding what forces within institutions could affect safety practice implementation and safety performance is critical to changing organizations and ensuring safety. This is particularly true in the global aviation context, for which safety is the primary objective. In this dissertation, I explore the interactive effects of institutional pressures and internal fit on Safety Management Systems (SMS) implementation and safety performance in aviation organizations.
This research starts from a comprehensive literature review of four theories: institutional pressures, internal fit, SMS practice, and safety performance. Based on this review's observed performance and gaps, I propose theoretical models and hypotheses to investigate the interactive effects on practice fidelity and extensiveness implementation and quantitative and qualitative safety performance from the management perspective. A quantitative cross-sectional research design was adopted, and an online survey was developed and pretested. The sample was drawn from aviation organizations in the global setting. The Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) method and the Causal Path Analysis technique were used to access the theoretical models.
The results highlight that while institutional pressures align with self-interest, self-interest positively affects organizational resource capability and SMS fidelity (establishment). In conflict situations, only institutional pressures impact SMS fidelity, and resource capability does not significantly impact SMS implementation. Moreover, SMS fidelity and resource capability fully mediate the relationship between interactive forces and SMS extensiveness in the alignment model. SMS fidelity alone fully mediates SMS extensiveness in the conflict model. SMS fidelity affects quantitative safety performance and safety culture. SMS extensiveness only directly impacts safety culture. Regulative pressures have a direct impact on quantitative safety performance, while non-regulative pressures do not have such a direct impact.
Understanding the effects of the interplay between institutional pressures and internal fit on SMS implementation and safety performance will advance SMS post-implementation and enhance regulatory policy establishment and practitioner practice implementation. These efforts will consequently improve safety performance, which is the prime objective of the global aviation community
Therapeutic Songwriting with Bereaved Mothers Following Pregnancy Loss: A Philosophical Inquiry
Get PDFPregnancy loss is an under-researched and underacknowledged issue that affects many women. Furthermore, there is a lack of specialized support services. Given the unique needs of bereaved mothers and noted relevant benefits of therapeutic songwriting, the purpose of this philosophical inquiry was to organize and synthesize current knowledge and build a case as to why therapeutic songwriting within an individual music therapy context holds strong potential as a mode of support for these women. A first-person arts-informed research component was also employed, wherein relevant audio and lyrical excerpts from songs previously composed by the researcher about her own pregnancy losses were used to support and further elucidate knowledge that emerged from the literature. Connections were made between key components of an experience-oriented songwriting approach and the identified needs of bereaved mothers. Flexible guidelines for applying this approach were subsequently created and these may serve as a helpful starting point for music therapists wanting to offer services to this population. Limitations of the study as well as further implications for practice and research are presented
Traduire l’hétérolinguisme : traduction postcoloniale du roman Butter Honey Pig Bread de Francesca Ekwuyasi
Get PDFCe mémoire est une traduction commentée, de l’anglais vers le français, de six chapitres du roman Butter Honey Pig Bread écrit par Francesca Ekwuyasi et publié en 2020 chez Arsenal Pulp Press. Le texte de départ, en anglais, est hétérolingue, c’est-à-dire qu’en plus de l’anglais, le pidgin nigérian, le français et l’igbo sont présents, surtout dans les dialogues. C’est donc l’hétérolinguisme qui constitue la principale difficulté du texte et qui fait l’objet d’un commentaire poussé. Une stratégie de traduction différente est élaborée et expliquée pour quatre types d’hétérolinguisme relevés dans le texte : les realia, les interjections, les phrases complètes en pidgin et le français. Une des particularités du texte de départ est que presque aucune traduction ou explication n’est fournie pour les mots et phrases dans une langue autre que l’anglais. Le contexte permet de comprendre en général de quoi on parle, mais il reste un flou pour le lectorat qui ne parle pas le pidgin, l’igbo ou le français. En traduction, le même parti pris a été choisi, ce qui revient à ne pas traduire ou expliquer les phrases en pidgin et en igbo et à présenter ces phrases « étrangères » au lectorat francophone de la même façon qu’elles ont été présentées au lectorat anglophone. Cette stratégie de traduction a été conçue dans une optique postcoloniale où on cherche à investir une langue dominante d’éléments de la culture minoritaire, en l’occurrence nigériane, sans pour autant la servir sur un plateau d’argent, l’effacer ou l’exotiser
Assessment of Urban Microclimate and Its Impact on Outdoor Thermal Comfort and Building Energy Performance
Get PDFAs urbanization and population growth have increased over the past decade, more construction has been built in urban areas to form large metropolitan areas. Researchers are paying more attention to the link between human activities and the immediate surroundings – urban microclimate –to improve the quality of life and minimize adverse impacts on the environment and climate. This thesis focuses on the urban microclimate and its impact on outdoor thermal comfort and building energy performance. This study will start a comprehensive literature review presenting the latest progress in urban microclimate research on urban wind and thermal environment, covering methods and practical issues.
For the short-term analysis, this research studies how urban configuration affects the urban microclimate and outdoor thermal comfort. In the present work, temperature distribution at three different urban areas will be simulated during a summer heatwave in 2013 in Montreal, Canada. The impact of different building configurations on the flow pattern will be investigated. What’s more, thermal comfort and the impact of heatwaves on the human body will be considered by humidex (humidity index). The results show that this model is capable of estimating local microclimate and outdoor thermal comfort.
An artificial neural network (ANN) model is also presented in this study to predict urban microclimates based on long-term measurements from local weather stations near urban buildings and their significance in analyzing building energy consumption. The ANN model could connect local and remote meteorological parameters for a whole year. The 20-year historical weather data at the airport was then used to generate a local TMY, and then building heating and cooling loads were analyzed. This method was evaluated for five weather stations to assess the impact of the local microclimate on the energy consumption of buildings.
This study underscores the crucial role of urban microclimate in building energy consumption through both short-term and long-term evaluations. Accurate prediction of local weather conditions around buildings is essential within urban microclimates. The research introduces a pioneering approach using an artificial neural network model for predicting microclimate parameters based on extensive onsite measurements, emphasizing its significance in building energy analysis
Le mythe de l’ouverture et de la tolérance de l’État canadien envers les personnes LGBTQ+ dans Canada’s Drag Race
Get PDFLe Canada est un pays reconnu à l’international pour son ouverture et sa tolérance envers les personnes LGBTQ+ et en tant que pays d’immigration. La diversité multiculturelle du pays a bien été représentée dans les trois premières saisons de Canada’s Drag Race avec des participantes drag queens provenant notamment, des minorités culturelles, de l’immigration, des membres des peuples autochtones, des réfugiées et des francophones. Néanmoins, malgré cette diversité des participantes , l’émission n’a pas permis l’expression d’une vision contradictoire au nationalisme canadien et a encensé son multiculturalisme et son ouverture précisément aux réfugiés queers, avec peu de moments contraires à ce mythe de la tolérance et de l’ouverture. Ainsi l’émission a reproduit le discours du mythe de la tolérance et de l’ouverture multiculturelle du Canada en décrivant à plusieurs reprises, les pays « étrangers » comme homophobes, et en appliquant un discours normatif sur les personnes de l’immigration comme son système d’immigration. En créant un triptyque mère-drag-patrie-commissaire, l’émission reproduit la logique nationaliste du Canada sans les altérer et renforce le discours du Canada comme terre d’accueil pour les personnes queers.
Mots-clés : nationalisme canadien, homonationalisme, LGBTQ+, queer, réfugiés, immigration, migration queer, drag, drag queen, Ru Paul’s Drag Race, Canada’s Drag Race, télévision au Canada, télévision queer
Abstract
Canada is recognized around the world for is openness and tolerance toward LGBTQ+ people and as a country open to immigration. Having drag queens from immigrant, refugee, indigenous and French-Canadian background, the first three seasons of Canada’s Drag Race reflected the multicultural diversity of the country. Nonetheless, even with this diversity of drag queens in the race, the program didn’t allow the participants to express a more contentious vision of Canada’s nationalism and praised the multiculturalism of the nation and his acceptance precisely toward queer refugees without contradicting its openness and tolerance myth. Canada’s Drag Race reproduced the openness and tolerance myth of Canada emphasizing the homophobia of foreign countries, strengthening the perception of Canada as a safe haven for queer people and assigning a normative discourse regarding immigrant people like in its immigration apparatus. By creating a triptych drag-mother-land-IRB members, the TV series reproduced the Canadian nationalist logic without impairing it.
Keywords: Canadian nationalism, homonationalism, LGBTQ+, queer, refugees, queer migration, immigrants, drag, drag queen, Ru Paul’s Drag Race, Canada’s Drag Race, Canadian television, queer televisio