Heimish and home-ish : aging, Jewishness and the creation of "home" at a Toronto assisted-living residence, the Terraces of Baycrest
Thesis (Ph.D.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2009. Folklore Includes bibliographical references (leaves 230-243). This thesis is an ethnographic study of how the elderly residents of the Terraces of Baycrest ("the Terraces") - a Jewish assisted-living facility in Toronto - create a...
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ftmemorialunivdc:oai:collections.mun.ca:theses4/132190 2023-05-15T17:23:33+02:00 Heimish and home-ish : aging, Jewishness and the creation of "home" at a Toronto assisted-living residence, the Terraces of Baycrest Gould, Jillian. Memorial University of Newfoundland. Dept. of Folklore Canada--Ontario--Toronto; 2009 ix, 243 leaves : ill., maps Image/jpeg; Application/pdf http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/theses4/id/132190 Eng eng Electronic Theses and Dissertations (27.98 MB) -- http://collections.mun.ca/PDFs/theses/Gould_Jillian.pdf a3243919 http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/theses4/id/132190 The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. Paper copy kept in the Centre for Newfoundland Studies, Memorial University Libraries Congregate housing--Ontario--Toronto Home--Philosophy Jewish old age homes--Ontario--Toronto Older Jews--Ontario--Toronto Text 2009 ftmemorialunivdc 2015-08-06T19:22:36Z Thesis (Ph.D.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2009. Folklore Includes bibliographical references (leaves 230-243). This thesis is an ethnographic study of how the elderly residents of the Terraces of Baycrest ("the Terraces") - a Jewish assisted-living facility in Toronto - create and recreate tangible and intangible notions of home. While the Terraces is an ethno-specific setting, the diverse resident population incorporates many languages, experiences, beliefs and values. Nevertheless, through their shared cultural identities as Jews, old people, and as residents who live in the same institutional home, they form a unique collective group. This thesis examines the intricate relationships Terraces residents have not only with each other, but also with their current living space. In this instance, I am referring to both the larger "home" that is the institution, as well as to each individual home where residents actually live. In fact, residents "live" in both the institution as well as their private apartments. As such, they must constantly negotiate between the dichotomies of their spatial worlds. This thesis demonstrates that while we use ideal notions to talk about our spatial worlds: home and institution, religious and secular, public and private - the "real" story takes place in between these ideals. Home is not the physical structure, but the way we imbue spaces with value and meaning. Terraces residents achieve this in various ways: with the material objects they use to personalize their private spaces; by sharing and participating in Jewish creative rituals in public and private spaces; by sociability and hospitality; and by shared ethnic and cultural identities. Finally, this thesis suggests that although home is constructed through objects and the creation of meaningful space, home also is a "feeling." As such, residents construct "home" so that they can feel "at home" - in turn, this allows them to live in comfort and to age well. Text Newfoundland studies University of Newfoundland Memorial University of Newfoundland: Digital Archives Initiative (DAI) Canada |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Memorial University of Newfoundland: Digital Archives Initiative (DAI) |
op_collection_id |
ftmemorialunivdc |
language |
English |
topic |
Congregate housing--Ontario--Toronto Home--Philosophy Jewish old age homes--Ontario--Toronto Older Jews--Ontario--Toronto |
spellingShingle |
Congregate housing--Ontario--Toronto Home--Philosophy Jewish old age homes--Ontario--Toronto Older Jews--Ontario--Toronto Gould, Jillian. Heimish and home-ish : aging, Jewishness and the creation of "home" at a Toronto assisted-living residence, the Terraces of Baycrest |
topic_facet |
Congregate housing--Ontario--Toronto Home--Philosophy Jewish old age homes--Ontario--Toronto Older Jews--Ontario--Toronto |
description |
Thesis (Ph.D.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2009. Folklore Includes bibliographical references (leaves 230-243). This thesis is an ethnographic study of how the elderly residents of the Terraces of Baycrest ("the Terraces") - a Jewish assisted-living facility in Toronto - create and recreate tangible and intangible notions of home. While the Terraces is an ethno-specific setting, the diverse resident population incorporates many languages, experiences, beliefs and values. Nevertheless, through their shared cultural identities as Jews, old people, and as residents who live in the same institutional home, they form a unique collective group. This thesis examines the intricate relationships Terraces residents have not only with each other, but also with their current living space. In this instance, I am referring to both the larger "home" that is the institution, as well as to each individual home where residents actually live. In fact, residents "live" in both the institution as well as their private apartments. As such, they must constantly negotiate between the dichotomies of their spatial worlds. This thesis demonstrates that while we use ideal notions to talk about our spatial worlds: home and institution, religious and secular, public and private - the "real" story takes place in between these ideals. Home is not the physical structure, but the way we imbue spaces with value and meaning. Terraces residents achieve this in various ways: with the material objects they use to personalize their private spaces; by sharing and participating in Jewish creative rituals in public and private spaces; by sociability and hospitality; and by shared ethnic and cultural identities. Finally, this thesis suggests that although home is constructed through objects and the creation of meaningful space, home also is a "feeling." As such, residents construct "home" so that they can feel "at home" - in turn, this allows them to live in comfort and to age well. |
author2 |
Memorial University of Newfoundland. Dept. of Folklore |
format |
Text |
author |
Gould, Jillian. |
author_facet |
Gould, Jillian. |
author_sort |
Gould, Jillian. |
title |
Heimish and home-ish : aging, Jewishness and the creation of "home" at a Toronto assisted-living residence, the Terraces of Baycrest |
title_short |
Heimish and home-ish : aging, Jewishness and the creation of "home" at a Toronto assisted-living residence, the Terraces of Baycrest |
title_full |
Heimish and home-ish : aging, Jewishness and the creation of "home" at a Toronto assisted-living residence, the Terraces of Baycrest |
title_fullStr |
Heimish and home-ish : aging, Jewishness and the creation of "home" at a Toronto assisted-living residence, the Terraces of Baycrest |
title_full_unstemmed |
Heimish and home-ish : aging, Jewishness and the creation of "home" at a Toronto assisted-living residence, the Terraces of Baycrest |
title_sort |
heimish and home-ish : aging, jewishness and the creation of "home" at a toronto assisted-living residence, the terraces of baycrest |
publishDate |
2009 |
url |
http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/theses4/id/132190 |
op_coverage |
Canada--Ontario--Toronto; |
geographic |
Canada |
geographic_facet |
Canada |
genre |
Newfoundland studies University of Newfoundland |
genre_facet |
Newfoundland studies University of Newfoundland |
op_source |
Paper copy kept in the Centre for Newfoundland Studies, Memorial University Libraries |
op_relation |
Electronic Theses and Dissertations (27.98 MB) -- http://collections.mun.ca/PDFs/theses/Gould_Jillian.pdf a3243919 http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/theses4/id/132190 |
op_rights |
The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. |
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