Ethnic Identity Discourses of Recent Ukrainian Immigrants to Canada: Interactions between New Ukrainian-Canadians and the Established Ukrainian-Canadian Diaspora

• Author / Creator

  Lynn,Susanna M

• Ukrainian-Canadians are a relatively well-established group in this country. This thesis focuses on an as yet unstudied segment of this community, namely the new, post-Soviet Ukrainian immigrants. As an interdisciplinary project, the thesis researches the ethnic identity discourses of recent immigrants to Canada by examining their interactions with the established Ukrainian diaspora in Edmonton, AB. The thesis focuses on interactions that shape their identities and integration. I begin with a socio-historical overview of the first three waves of immigration; then I discuss events in Ukraine since its declaration of Independence in 1991. The analysis of interviews which I conducted with new and established members of the community reveals that both the ethnic identity discourses of both groups are negotiated, at least in part, in relationship to each other. It also exposes some of the similarities and differences between the two groups, highlighting the evolving nature of this community.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Critical discourse analysis
  • Alberta
  • Canada
  • Interdisciplinary methodology
  • Orange Revolution
  • Ukrainian culture
  • Ukraine
  • Ukrainian
  • Fourth wave
  • Taras Shevchenko
  • Prescriptive cultural attitudes
  • Ukrainian diaspora
  • Third wave
  • Ethnic identity
  • Immigrants
  • Ukrainian Independence
  • Edmonton
  • Discourse
  • First wave
  • Ukrainian literature
  • Second wave
  • Interviews
  • Ukrainian language

• Graduation date

  2014-11

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Arts

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R35Q3S

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.