Understanding Franco-Ontarian public spaces: A study of La Nouvelle Scene

Abstract

Franco-Ontarians have founded an array of institutions to ensure their long-term cultural survival. By patronizing them, Franco-Ontarians are communicating their desire to belong to the community, to distinguish themselves from the majority, and to be recognized as part of a distinct cultural entity. Based on Habermas' notion of the public space and on Breton's concept of institutional completeness, this study aims to explore how Franco-Ontarians regard the value of institutions as public spaces which affect the nature of Franco-Ontarian identity. Surveys and interviews were conducted with patrons of the francophone theatre centre La Nouvelle Scene, to gather information on motivations and expectations in associating with such institutions. This study's main finding was that Franco-Ontarians don't accredit their sense of identity to the substance of La Nouvelle Scene's activities, but rather to its very presence within the community's boundaries and to the consequences that this presence entails.