Diversity and social cohesion: the case of Jane-Finch, a highly diverse lower-income Toronto neighbourhood

Abstract

Diversity has increasingly emerged as the core focus of many studies concerning factors impacting on social cohesion. Various scholars have concluded that diversity is detrimental to cohesion. Most of this research, however, draws generalisations based upon quantitative data and fails to account for the impact of inequality, segregation and discrimination, and their interconnectedness to diversity. This research provides an indepth qualitative analysis of the perceptions of inhabitants of a diverse Toronto neighbourhood regarding formal and informal interactions, common values and attachment. The findings suggest that the internalisation of gendered and class-based racism by inhabitants plays a crucial role in shaping perceptions and interactions.

Rethinking Neighbourhood Cohesion in the Suburbs: Insights from Communities in Calgary

“…Social cohesion in the literature is defined in general terms and often used interchangebly with social capital (Letki, 2008;Putnam, 2007). More detailed elaborations of the concept refer to social contacts, networks, social order, shared values and norms, place attachment and shared identity (Ahmadi, 2018;Forrest & Kearns, 2001;Tasan-Kok et al, 2014). A rigorous study of the phenomenon requires careful operationalization to guide robust empirical research.…”

“…Social cohesion, in turn, involves notions of belonging and spatial mobility (commuting and residential turnover), affirming that "the building blocks of social cohesion reside within places" (Kearns & Forrest, 2000, p.1001. A recent literature review on social cohesion identified three widely shared perspectives: a) common values and norms, b) the existence of social ties and networks and c) neighbourhood attachment (Ahmadi, 2018). Previous scholarship has placed a lot of emphasis on these qualifiers and has explored their significance on social cohesion mostly through qualitative research and compelling narratives on building social networks, solidarity and cultural diversity (Altman & Low, 1992;Forrest & Kearns, 2001).…”

“…Common values constitute a largely shared perspective that shapes a common sense of community in a place. Neighbourhood attachment emphasizes the connection of people to physical and social environments, a sense of security and solidarity that promotes social cohesion (Altman & Low, 1992), while the existence of social networks, formal or informal, is deemed important in defining social capital and cohesion (Putnam, 2007;Ahmadi, 2018). We consider Buckner's tool to be very useful as a simple measure of cohesion, but also as a way of differentiating between neighbourhoods.…”

“…Canada is a suburban nation (Gordon & Janzen, 2013;Gordon, Hindrichs & Willms, 2018), where automobile-dependent suburbs are the place of choice for many Canadians, marketed as the ideal form of affordable living in single-family homes with access to open space, recreation and amenities (Lewinberg & Gabor, 1997;Grant, 2006). Neighbourhood cohesion in Canadian cities is explored in the literature in relation to social cohesion, socioeconomic diversity, social capital and growing ethnic diversity (Ahmadi, 2018;Grant, 2007;Walks, 2014). Grant and Mittelsteadt (2004) provided the first typology of gated communities, distinguishing eight types situated along a continuum of gatedness, ranging from ornamental/symbolic gating to controlled guarded enclaves.…”

Playing in the Shadow of Event Urbanism: Newcomer Youth, Neighborhood Change, and TO2015

“…Toronto is also host to more than one-third of the Canadian newcomer population. As evidenced in the recent work of Ahmadi (2017Ahmadi ( , 2018, the rhetoric of a multicultural and diverse Toronto has continued to serve political parties in power whilst also limit the authentic impact (especially as realized through economic redistribution, social justice, and anti-racism) on marginalized communities. The emergence of St. James Town and Regent Park, as one such material illustration, occurred in reaction to (i) the federal/provincial government desire to (appear to) prioritize public housing; and (ii) the de-racialization of Canadian immigration policy (Boudreau et al 2009).…”