The Geography of Toronto

by | Oct 18, 2021 | Geography

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!
2/7
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

  1. 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?
  2. 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.)
    3/7
    Section 2: Background Research
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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
  7. Go online using Google map street views into your cultural landscape or ethnic
    economy. Document it with pictures. Include 3 iconic pictures here.
  8. 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
  9. 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?).
  10. What are some indicators of the cultural wellbeing of the area? (Is it a diverse
    space? Are there indicators of cultural identity?)
  11. 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:

  1. Title Page: Make a creative title for your essay.
  2. 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.
  3. The Literature Review (around 450 words): here you will summarize all
    9 researched articles and sources, highlighting how they are important to
    your argument.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. The Conclusion (around 250 words): here you conclude your essay by
    summarizing your argument, and your evidence.
  7. 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.
  8. 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)
    6/7
    • 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
    7/7
    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.
  9. What is your creative essay title?
  10. What is your cultural landscape/ethnic economy?
  11. What is your research question? (can be shifted from your original one)
  12. What is your answer to your research question (argument connecting your
    evidence to some concepts or theories)?
  13. What 3 sub-arguments are you going to use to support your argument?
  14. What pieces of evidence are you going to use to support your subarguments?
  15. 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

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

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