Analytical Essay Assignment Outline
Toronto’s Cultural Landscapes and Ethnic Economies
Landscape: “That segment of earth space which lies between the viewer’s eye and
his or her horizon.” (Salter, C. L. (1978). Signatures and settings: One approach to
landscape in literature. In Dimensions of human geography: essays on some
familiar and neglected themes, 69-83: 71)
Cultural Landscapes: Areas that exemplify the culture of the people who live or
work there. Cultural landscapes typically include symbols, including vernacular
architecture, that are associated with particular cultural groups, including
ethnocultures, subcultures, or countercultures. You can consider sports, theatre, or
even music types as subcultures.
Thus landscapes are more than just a building or site. You should think of a
neighbourhood, area or district so you can contextualize your findings.
Ethnic Economies: Economic sub-systems within national economies where the
capital, business ownership, workers, and customers are associated with a
particular ethnic group. Also known as an “enclave” economy.
The assignment asks you to learn about one of Toronto’s ethnic economies through
background research (online and library research). You will answer 11 questions
about your chosen site (cultural landscape or ethnic economy) from the list below
(or select your own) first. Answering these questions (pages 2 and 3) will be used
as the primary source material for your analytical essay. Details and examples
from your findings and research must be used in your essay.
This assignment was inspired by this article by Toronto Star Food Writer, Karon Liu.
Have a read to learn how he conducted his research, and what he found.
https://www.thestar.com/life/food_wine/2018/12/11/how-the-greek-communityshaped-torontos-diner-culture.html
Liu was inspired by eating at a restaurant: “I always wondered why old-school
diners and burger joints have souvlaki and Greek salads on the menu” (Tweet,
12/12/2018, @karonliu). Let your imagination run wild with this assignment!
Answer a question you really want to know!
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Examples of Cultural Landscapes and Ethnic Economies
Within the City of Toronto (south of Steeles Ave., from Etobicoke to Scarborough)
-Chinatown (Spadina)
-The Beaches
-Chinatown East
-Greektown
-Corso Italia
-Little Portugal
-Little India/Gerrard St Bazaar
-The Church-Wellesley Village
-Koreatown
-Parkdale
-Bloor West Village
-Cabbagetown
-Little Jamaica
-The Annex
-Roncesvalles
-Kensington Market
-The Distillery District
-The Garment District
-Jane and Finch
-Afro-Carribbean Toronto
-Arab and Middle Eastern Toronto
-Balkan Toronto
-British and Irish Toronto
-Chinese Toronto
-French Toronto
-German Toronto
-Greek Toronto
-Indian and South Asian Toronto
-Italian Toronto
-Japanese and Southeast Asian
Toronto
-Jewish Toronto
-Latin Toronto
-Russian and Eastern European
Toronto
-Western and Central European
Toronto
Preparation for the Assignment: (You do not need to submit the following
preparation with your Essay assignment)
Section 1: Research Questions
- What is your research question? What do you want to know about this cultural
landscape or ethnic economy? Make it quite specific.
(140 characters (not words), e.g., Why do burger joints have Greek salads
on the menu? Or Why is Chinatown where it is? Or Why are there Polish
restaurants in Roncesvalles? - Why do you want to know about this cultural landscape or ethnic economy? What
spurred your interest?
(Narrative response 280 characters (not words), e.g., I was eating at a
burger joint and I wondered why I saw Greek salads on the menu, at many
different locations. I had a theory it might be because of Greek immigration,
but I wanted to find out.)
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Section 2: Background Research - Do your research on 3 newspaper articles on your topic. You can use the
Toronto Star (1894-2015, 1971-2016, 1985-2019), Toronto Sun, or Globe and Mail
(1936-2015, 1985-2019). If you find any other local newspapers, or international
newspapers writing on your place (reviews of restaurants for example), you can
also use those.
3.1. Summarize the findings of these secondary source articles in 140
characters (not words) each. - Do your research on 3 academic journal (peer-reviewed) articles on your
topic. Use RULA or Google Scholar. They do not necessarily have to be from
Toronto. You could examine Chinatowns in other cities or how Syrian refugees are
creating their own local economies.
4.1. Summarize the findings of these academic or scholarly sources in 280
characters (not words) each. - Do your research on 3 popular media sources on your topic. These can be
websites, non-academic (“coffee table”) books, songs, films, television shows,
webisodes, etc.
5.1. Summarize the findings of these popular media sources in 140
characters (not words) each. - After reviewing your web, library, and media research, draw a map of your
cultural landscape or ethnic economy (or at least a part of it that you can visit
online). Draw the main streets that act as the boundary. Locate 4 major landmarks
in the area on the map; write a short description of these landmarks. You can use
Google Maps or Google Earth for your research for this element, but draw the map
by hand on paper (You can scan the map or take a picture of your drawn map and
attach it to your assignment as an appendix which will be uploaded to D2L through
Turnitin along with your assignment).
Section 3: Online Field Research - Go online using Google map street views into your cultural landscape or ethnic
economy. Document it with pictures. Include 3 iconic pictures here. - Check if there are any symbols, artifacts or architecture from groups who had
lived in the place in the past? Take note of places of worship, old signs, old
buildings, and historic plaques, renovated or refurbished sites.
4/7 - What are some indicators of the economic wellbeing of the area? (Be creative:
how would you describe the area to someone else? Is it wealthy? Is it poor? Why
would you say this?). - What are some indicators of the cultural wellbeing of the area? (Is it a diverse
space? Are there indicators of cultural identity?) - What are some indicators of the environmental wellbeing of the area? (Is it
environmentally interesting and biodiverse? Is there litter or garbage found on the
streets? Do you see signs of neglect in the environment?)
How to craft the Analytical Essay
The Main Assignment (To be submitted)
1500-2000 words submitted to D2L through Turnitin in PDF format
30% of final grade 20% late penalty per calendar day
The analytical essay assignment is where you write the research you conducted in
the previous 11 explained questions into an essay. Since this is an upper-level
liberal studies course, it is expected that you use some higher order, conceptual
thinking.
For this assignment, you need to connect your own research with research of
scholars in the field.
Higher order thinking connects concrete examples to concepts (abstractions, like
place or space) and theories (sets of abstractions brought together, like
gentrification).
In your essays you must connect things you see online through Google map or
Google earth (street views) in your cultural landscape or ethnic economy to broader
concepts or theories. If you see Starbucks in your neighbourhood, you may be able
to link it to gentrification. If you are studying an ethnic economy, you may be able
to link it to the phenomenon of concentration.
You will need to understand the readings and think about them to connect your own
street view observations on Google map to more abstract ideas.
5/7
➢ The essay assignment MUST have the following 8 major parts:
- Title Page: Make a creative title for your essay.
- The Introduction (around 200 words): here you introduce your topic,
your cultural landscape or ethnic economy, and your outline (your research
question and what your main arguments will be that will answer your
research question). In-text citation is needed for all the assignment. - The Literature Review (around 450 words): here you will summarize all
9 researched articles and sources, highlighting how they are important to
your argument. - The Research questions (around 450 words): here you summarize your
research questions that you have already answered, what were the main
findings from your background and observations. Include the 3 pictures
(photos) with captions and sources or citation. - The Analysis (around 450 words): this is the meat and potatoes of your
analytical essay where you link up your literature review with the research
observation, using them to craft an argument about your cultural landscape
or ethnic economy. These would be elaborated in your journal articles. - The Conclusion (around 250 words): here you conclude your essay by
summarizing your argument, and your evidence. - Bibliography: here you have a list of your works cited, or the bibliography
in full. You may use MLA, APA, Chicago, or Harvard (or another standard
social science format). In-text citation is needed for all the assignment. - Appendix: here you attach the hand drawn map of your cultural landscape
or ethnic economy research area.
Some examples of concepts from the course readings
• colonization (Bobiwash, 1997; Relph, 2014)
• concentration (Lo, 2006)
• creative cities (Catungal et al., 2009)
• decolonization (Bobiwash, 1997)
• displacement (Catungal et al., 2009)
• ecological restoration (Yokohari and Amati, 2005)
• ethnic economy (Lo, 2006)
• ethnic enclave (Lo, 2006)
• gentrification (Hackworth and Rekers, 2005; August, 2014; Moos, 2016)
• housing (Whitzman, and Slater, 2006)
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• mobility (Mitra, et al., 2014)
• redevelopment (Mathews, 2014)
• residential location (Lo, 2006
• revitalization (James, 2010)
• segregation (Lo, 2006)
• settlement (Logan and Murde, 2016)
• spatial assimilation (Lo, 2006)
• stigmatization (August, 2014)
• transportation (Mitra et al., 2014)
• youthification (Moos, 2016)
Some Geography of Toronto related articles, look for concepts within
Chaudhary, A. R., & Guarnizo, L. E. (2016). Pakistani immigrant organisational
spaces in Toronto and New York City. Journal of Ethnic and Migration
Studies, 42(6), 1013-1035.
https://journals-scholarsportalinfo.ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/pdf/1369183x/v42i0006/1013_piositanyc.xml
Currah, A. (2002). Behind the web store: the organisational and spatial evolution of
multichannel retailing in Toronto. Environment and Planning A, 34(8), 1411-1441.
http://journals.sagepub.com.ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/doi/pdf/10.1068/a3562
Hiebert, D. (1993). Jewish immigrants and the garment industry of Toronto, 1901–
1931: A study of ethnic and class relations. Annals of the Association of American
Geographers, 83(2), 243-271.
http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/stable/pdf/2563495.pdf?refreqid
=excelsior%3A3d06d631cb1677e2e8fbfe59bfd3e18c
Nash, C. J., & Gorman-Murray, A. (2015). Recovering the gay village: A
comparative historical geography of urban change and planning in Toronto and
Sydney. Historical Geography, 43, 84-105.
https://ejournals.unm.edu/index.php/historicalgeography/article/view/3188/
Nash-GormanMurray
Rankin, K. N., & McLean, H. (2015). Governing the commercial streets of the city:
New terrains of disinvestment and gentrification in Toronto’s inner suburbs.
Antipode, 47(1), 216-239.
https://journals-scholarsportalinfo.ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/pdf/00664812/v47i0001/216_gtcsotagitis.xml
Ray, B., & Preston, V. (2015). Working with diversity: A geographical analysis of
ethno-racial discrimination in Toronto. Urban Studies, 52(8), 1505-1522.
https://journals-scholarsportalinfo.ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/pdf/00420980/v52i0008/1505_wwdagaoedit.xml
Takahashi, K. (2017). Toronto’s Little Portugal: gentrification and social relations
among local entrepreneurs. Urban Geography, 38(4), 578-605.
https://journals-scholarsportalinfo.ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/details/02723638/v38i0004/578_tlpgasrale.xml
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Walks, R. A. (2001). The social ecology of the post-Fordist/global city? Economic
restructuring and socio-spatial polarisation in the Toronto urban region. Urban
Studies, 38(3), 407-447.
https://journals-scholarsportalinfo.ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/pdf/00420980/v38i0003/407_tseotppittur.xml
Zhuang, Z. C., & Chen, A. X. (2017). The role of ethnic retailing in retrofitting
suburbia: case studies from Toronto, Canada. Journal of Urbanism: International
Research on Placemaking and Urban Sustainability, 10(3), 275-295.
https://journals-scholarsportalinfo.ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/pdf/17549175/v10i0003/275_troeriscsftc.xml
Answering these questions will help you to craft your essay. - What is your creative essay title?
- What is your cultural landscape/ethnic economy?
- What is your research question? (can be shifted from your original one)
- What is your answer to your research question (argument connecting your
evidence to some concepts or theories)? - What 3 sub-arguments are you going to use to support your argument?
- What pieces of evidence are you going to use to support your subarguments?
- Which concepts are you going to use to show your use of higher order
thinking in your analysis? Can you define these terms? Where did you locate
these definitions?
Select one of the following citation styles to use:
Example in MLA
Brubaker, Bill. “New Health Center Targets County’s Uninsured
Patients.” Washington Post, 24 May 2007, p. LZ01.
Example in APA
Schultz, S. (2005, December 28). Calls made to strengthen state energy
policies. The Country Today, pp. 1A, 2A.
Example in Chicago
Deo, Nisha. “Visiting Professor Lectures on Photographer.” Exponent (West
Lafayette, IN), Feb. 13, 2009.
Sample Solution
