From Homeownership to Homelessness and the Housing in-between: An Examination of Migrants’ Housing Experiences in Calgary
This thesis explores the role of housing, migration, the state, and the global economy in Calgary, Alberta using multiple research methods. The analysis draws on interview and participant observation data with migrants from India, Romania, Ethiopia, and Newfoundland, as well as housing providers and...
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| Format: | Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Graduate Studies
2013
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/11023/1113 https://doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/26231 |
| Summary: | This thesis explores the role of housing, migration, the state, and the global economy in Calgary, Alberta using multiple research methods. The analysis draws on interview and participant observation data with migrants from India, Romania, Ethiopia, and Newfoundland, as well as housing providers and policy makers. The author also relied on her experiences working in the housing and homelessness policy field for eight years. The ethnographic approach was complemented by quantitative analysis of census, housing market, and program level data, along with public policy analysis. The theoretical framework draws on housing careers, political economy, and urban anthropology literature, particularly the ongoing debates on structuration, the state, and global cities. The main findings explore the link between migration and housing experiences, the meaning of home from migrants’ perspective, informal and formal housing, homelessness and housing stress, and the role of the state and public policy. Analysis sheds light on the relationship between migration and housing experiences, particularly probing the role of homeownership. By exploring the impact of state policies and global processes on migrants’ housing options and experiences, the study considers neoliberal policy development and implementation as part of the broader restructuring of cities and its impacts on migrant groups. The focus on the macro-dimensions of the housing market and state policies is complemented by an exploration of governance mechanisms and institutions and their intersection with individual migrants, policy makers, and housing providers. This exploration demonstrates that a grounded ethnographic approach to migration and housing can provide important insights into the restructuring of cities brought about by neoliberalism, contemporary governance processes, and urban informality practices. |
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