Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Family Diversity And Inequality: The Canadian Case, Beaujot Roderic, Jianye Liu, Zenaida R. Ravanera

Population Change and Lifecourse Strategic Knowledge Cluster Discussion Paper Series/ Un Réseau stratégique de connaissances Changements de population et parcours de vie Document de travail

The Second Demographic Transition, including flexibility in types of unions and in entry and exit from unions, has increased the diversity across families. There has been a significant cultural and political dynamic to celebrate this diversity as an increase in individual options, beyond the heterosexual couples with children in a traditional division of labour.

Diversity can be expressed in various ways: economic families or unattached individuals, married or common law, two parents or lone parent, opposite sex or same sex, breadwinner or two earners, traditional division of work and care or collaborative model, couples with and without children, intact or …

Integration And “Welcome-Ability” Indexes: Measures Of Community Capacity To Integrate Immigrants, Zenaida R. Ravanera, Victoria Esses, Rajulton Fernando

Population Change and Lifecourse Strategic Knowledge Cluster Discussion Paper Series/ Un Réseau stratégique de connaissances Changements de population et parcours de vie Document de travail

This paper aims at clarifying the applicability of the theory of micro-macro links to the general concept of “integration” and illustrates two distinct methods of measuring the concept at individual and community levels. In particular, two indexes are developed, the first one called welcome-ability index, to measure the capacities of communities to welcome and integrate newcomers, and the second called integration index, to measure economic, social, and political integration of individuals. The first, a community-level measure, takes into account opportunities and facilities, including employment opportunities, facilities for health care and positive attitudes towards immigrants. The second, an individual-level measure, takes …

Health Disparities As We Age: A Life Course Comparison Of Canadian Early Boomers With Pre-Boomers, Susan Mcdaniel, Amber Gazso, Hugh Mccague, Ryan Barnhart

Population Change and Lifecourse Strategic Knowledge Cluster Discussion Paper Series/ Un Réseau stratégique de connaissances Changements de population et parcours de vie Document de travail

Despite a large and growing research literature documenting health disparities by socio-economic status (SES) and income inequalities, research on how these relationships play out moving from mid to later life is meager. Even less is known about how the early Baby Boom cohort compares with the Pre-Boomer cohort as they age in a period of accelerating inequalities, where the wealthy are becoming wealthier and the incomes of those in the middle and at the bottom are stagnating. In this paper, we follow individuals in two cohorts, those born 1947-1951 and those born 1932-36 over the period covering eight cycles of …

Canada’S Immigrant Families: Growth, Diversity And Challenges, Sharon M. Lee, Barry Edmonston

Population Change and Lifecourse Strategic Knowledge Cluster Discussion Paper Series/ Un Réseau stratégique de connaissances Changements de population et parcours de vie Document de travail

As immigration continues to be the main factor in Canada’s recent population growth, the number and proportion of Canada’s immigrant families have also increased, to almost one-fifth of all families in Canada by 2006. We begin with a comparison of immigrant families with non-immigrant families on several sociodemographic characteristics including family type and size and home language to show similarities and differences. Next, we highlight diversity of immigrant families along selected characteristics including place of birth, period of immigration, and socioeconomic characteristics such as education and employment. Finally, we identify some challenges for immigrant families and topics for future research, …

Issues In The Analysis Of Inequality, Michael R. Smith

Population Change and Lifecourse Strategic Knowledge Cluster Discussion Paper Series/ Un Réseau stratégique de connaissances Changements de population et parcours de vie Document de travail

In spite of data and methodological challenges, research has largely reached the conclusion that earnings inequality has risen in Canada, the US and elsewhere, and that the rise has been mainly driven by large increases at the top of the earnings distribution. Researchers offer two competing explanations for causes of the rising inequality: (1) innovations in information and communication technologies, and (2) institutional changes such as the freezing of the minimum wage, decline in unionization, and the spread of performance-related pay increases. Inequality is influenced by changes in population composition, specifically, the size of cohorts entering the labour market, and …

From The Welfare State To The Enabling Society, Peter Hicks

Population Change and Lifecourse Strategic Knowledge Cluster Discussion Paper Series/ Un Réseau stratégique de connaissances Changements de population et parcours de vie Document de travail

Current information and communications technology is only now starting to be used in the world of social and employment policy and analysis. The full use of that technology will transform policy-making, social research and analysis, the design of social programming and the way in which it is governed. On all fronts, the changes will be deep and highly beneficial – including for individual well-being and government treasuries.

Today’s welfare state policies came to maturity some fifty years ago in the pre-computer age and are reaching the end of their useful lives. The transformed system which will replace it is referred …

The Social And Health Service Needs Of Aboriginal Peoples In Smaller Urban Centers In Southern Ontario: A Synthesis Paper For Service Agencies, Martin Cooke, Julia Woodhall, Jennifer Mcwhirter

Population Change and Lifecourse Strategic Knowledge Cluster Discussion Paper Series/ Un Réseau stratégique de connaissances Changements de population et parcours de vie Document de travail

The disproportionate needs of urban Aboriginal people make it important for urban social and health service providers to understand the conditions faced by this population. This synthesis paper reviews recent literature on urban Aboriginal populations in order to identify their characteristics and main areas of need. It is meant to inform those who work in health and social service planning and delivery in smaller urban centers, particularly non-Aboriginal service agencies in Southern Ontario.

The existing research shows that urbanized First Nations, Métis and Inuit have greater needs for specific health, cultural, justice, financial, and educational services. Furthermore, the literature indicates …