The Evolving Landscape of Ethnic Enclaves: Are Ethnic Enclaves Institutionally Complete?

Institutional completeness refers to the ability of an ethnic group to meet its social, economic and cultural needs within its own community, thus minimizing reliance on mainstream society's institutions. This study moves beyond a purely spatial perspective to This research aims to investigate the complex dynamics of ethnic enclaves in selected Canadian cities by examining the extent of their institutional completeness, the factors influencing its variation, and its relationship with the socio-economic and social integration outcomes of immigrants within those communities.

The project aims to:

• Analyze the degree of institutional completeness in different ethnic enclaves across Canada, examining the variation in how these communities fulfill the social, economic and cultural needs of their members.
• Explore the relationship between spatial concentration and social dynamics within ethnic enclaves, moving beyond a simple ecological perspective to understand how these two factors interact to shape community life and institutional development.
• Address critical data gaps by collecting and analyzing new, comprehensive data on the social infrastructure and resources available within ethnic communities, including the role of ethnic businesses, cultural centers, and religious institutions.

1. What are the geographic boundaries of the major ethnic enclaves in major cities in Canada?
2. What are the key characteristics and socio-economic demographics of these enclaves?
3. How have the geographic boundaries and characteristics of these enclaves changed over time?
4. What are the dominant ethnic groups and ethnic businesses/institutions within each enclave?

This study employs a mixed-methods approach focusing on both descriptive and inferential spatial statistics. Descriptive spatial statistics will be used to characterize ethnic enclaves, their demographics, and the distribution of institutions, including calculating mean centers and identifying spatial clusters. To test hypotheses and examine relationships between variables, the research will utilize inferential spatial statistics and spatial regression modeling. The team will also conduct physical audits in neighborhoods to complement spatial statistics.

Geography: Major cities in Canada, such as Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, and Saskatoon, as well as census tracts within those cities.

The project is in profress and research activities are currently ongoing.

Expected completion date: December 2027

Ethnic enclaves; institutional completeness; immigrants; integration