Cottage Country: Expectations and Experiences of Canadian Nature

A series of vocabulary flashcards from the lecture on the summer cottage experience in Canada, highlighting themes of culture, colonialism, class, gender, and environmental issues.

Cottage Culture

A symbol of the ideal Canadian summer representing a carefree, family-centered experience.

Universal Access Assumption

The belief that everyone has access to a cottage, although only about 10% of Canadians own second homes.

Ontario-Centrism

The tendency to treat Ontario's cottage experience as the default representation of Canadian identity, overshadowing other regional traditions.

Settler Colonialism

The practice of land dispossession from Indigenous peoples that underpins Ontario cottage ownership.

Class Privilege

The strength of one's social standing, reflected through cottage ownership and the ability to engage in conspicuous consumption.

Gendered Experiences

The historical difference in experiences of cottage life for men and women, often depicted through roles in labor and leisure.

Cottage Inheritance

The transfer of family cottages through generations, which can lead to intergenerational conflicts and tension.

Ethnographic Studies

Research approaches that explore human behaviors in specific cultural contexts, highlighting the constructed nature of cottage experiences.

Social Nature

A concept illustrating how nature is shaped by cultural factors, often benefiting certain groups at the expense of others.

Imaginary Indian

A stereotype of Indigenous peoples created by Eurocentric narratives that shape societal perceptions.

Conspicuous Consumption

A social practice where luxury goods or experiences are purchased to demonstrate wealth and status.

Conspicuous Leisure

The demonstration of one's ability to not work through engaging in leisure activities like cottage ownership.

Economic Inequality

The growing gap between rich and poor, affecting access to cottage leisure and upward mobility.

Greenwashing

The deceitful marketing of products or practices as environmentally friendly when they may not be beneficial for the environment.

Cultural Production of Nature

The creation of narratives around landscapes that serve colonial interests while neglecting Indigenous rights.

Cottage Nation

A social economic phenomenon highlighting how the cottage lifestyle is marketed as a staple of Canadian identity.

White Settler Identity

The cultural identity maintained through practices that neglect Indigenous land rights and histories.

Socio-ecology

An approach to understanding society and ecology's interaction, particularly in producing landscapes and nature narratives.

Cottage Gentrification

The process through which affluent cottage owners alter local economies and communities, often marginalizing residents.

Cottage Life Magazine

A publication that promotes cottage living and has begun addressing climate change impacts on cottage life.

Intergenerational Social Mobility

The differences in social class and economic status between different generations within families.

Seasonal Employment

Jobs that arise during peak seasons, such as tourism in cottage country, often providing precarious livelihoods.

Social Classism

An ideology that ranks individuals based on their economic and social status, often marginalizing disadvantaged groups.

Lake Access Inequity

The disparity in access to natural bodies of water for leisure, particularly affecting lower-income families.

Environmental Stewardship

The responsibility of individuals or communities to manage and care for natural resources, often paradoxically questioned in cottage contexts.

Cottage Reading

A cultural trend of curating literature specifically meant to be read at the cottage, further romanticizing cottage culture.

Cottage Menu

Specialized food offerings at restaurants that evoke the cottage experience, reinforcing cultural assumptions.

Cottage Aesthetics

The idealized design and decor of cottages, promoting a specific cultural image of leisure in nature.

Leisure Class

A social class characterized by the ability to participate in leisure activities that are often exclusive and economically prohibitive.

Bountiful Summer Imagery

Visual and narrative representations celebrating summer activities at the cottage that contribute to cultural expectations.

Rugged Masculinity

A stereotype often associated with cottage life, tying notions of strength and independence to male identity.

Social Reproduction Labor

The unpaid work, often performed by women, necessary to maintain households and family structures in leisure settings.

Downward Social Mobility

The trend of younger generations experiencing less economic upward mobility compared to their predecessors.

Ecological Grief

The emotional response to the loss or destruction of the natural environment, increasingly relevant in discussions of cottage country.

Cultural Narratives

Stories and frameworks that shape our understanding of social practices, particularly regarding enjoyment of nature.

Access to Cottage Life

The socio-economic barriers preventing many Canadians from experiencing the cottage lifestyle.

Local Infrastructure Needs

The requirements for maintaining roads, public services, and amenities that often conflict with seasonal cottage expectations.

Cottagers' Entitlement

The belief among some cottage owners that they have rightful access to desirable landscapes, often leading to tensions with locals.