Discoveries in the Making
Snapshot of francophone minorities
Today, we often hear of the issues faced by ethnic minorities trying to immigrate to Canada. But what about the vibrant communities that have been an integral part of Canada for hundreds of years? Anne Gilbert, professor in the Department of Geography, studies “national” minorities, such as the franco-ontarian community, who are set apart from others due to their historical presence and their desire to form small societies within the country.
As Research Director at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research on Citizenship and Minorities (CIRCEM), she is particularly interested by francophone minorities and the effect of the environment on social practices and political identity.
Gilbert is essentially preoccupied with the impact of these minorities on social practices and cultural identity. From 2002 to 2006, she undertook extensive field work in order to better understand the processes leading to the vitality of francophone communities across the country. She is currently working on a book about the various dimensions of the communities’ dynamism.
In the next few years, she will closely examine the representation of the francophone community in the Ottawa region.
Anne Gilbert, Department of Geography
Office: (613) 562-5800, ext. 1045
agilbert@uOttawa.ca