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The Greek community of Vancouver : social organization and adaptation

University of British Columbia

This thesis is an ethnographic account of the social organization of the Vancouver Greek community with a focus on some ethnic institutions. The Church, the voluntary associations and the Greek language school are examined in order to determine their significance and role in the process of adaptation. The social organization of the Vancouver Greek community is viewed within the context of overseas Greek settlements. A historical account of early Greek immigration to the United States, Montreal and Toronto is given, in order to provide a historical background to the investigation. The methodology is inter-disciplinary combining historical, anthropological and sociological techniques. The analysis is based on, (1) participant observation and interviews of leaders and members of the community; (2) primary historical data on the Greeks in Vancouver including Greek newspapers, Church and voluntary associations periodicals; and (3) published and unpublished materials on the Greeks in Canada, the United States and Australia. It was found that in the Vancouver Greek community the Church acts not only as a nationalistic, integrative and culture-preserving institution, but also as the official community government. The important role that the Church plays in the Vancouver Greek community is shown to be common to other overseas Greek communities such as those of Montreal and Toronto. The voluntary associations were found to act as important adaptive mechanisms through which the leadership of the community arises. The Greek language school ensures to a certain degree the continuation and preservation of the Greek language and culture. The three ethnic institutions that were examined, were found to perform a dual role as both culture-sustaining agents and as aids to adaptation.

Text

2010-01-29

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/19376

Sociology

University of British Columbia

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