Family, Life Course, and Society Commons^™

The New Immigration And Ethnic Identity, Christoph Schimmele, Zheng Wu

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 knowledge synthesis provides an up-to-date assessment of how the acculturation experiences of the children of immigrants influences their social identities. While other factors affect identity development, this synthesis focuses on the interface between identity and intergroup relations. Most post-1965 immigrants encounter economic circumstances and a “color” barrier that complicate the acculturation process. How these structural forces affect the pathway towards becoming a Canadian or an American is a far-reaching issue. For groups that are able to achieve economic parity with Whites and encounter little racism, their “ethnicity” could recede across generations. Hence, recent immigrants could eventually adopt unhyphenated identities …

Implications Of Global Peak Population For Canada's Future, Alain P. Bélanger, Barry Edmonston, Kevin Mcquillan, Benoît Laplante, Sharon M. Lee, Martin Cooke, Don Kerr

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 “Imagining Canada’s Future” the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) engaged various stakeholders to help establish six Future Challenge Areas. This report elaborates on the capacity of the Canadian research community with regard to the Future Challenge Area on “What might the implications of global peak population be for Canada?” It provides answers to sub-questions associated with this theme, namely: (1) What do we need to understand in order to effectively nurture the next generations? (2) What might Canadian families look like in five, 10, and 20 years, and how might they measure their well-being? (3) Life cycle …

Intimate Partner Violence In Canadian Lgb Communities, Betty J. Barrett, Melissa St. Pierre

CRDCN Research Highlight/RCCDR en évidence

After nearly three decades of scholarship, it is no longer contestable that intimate partner violence (IPV) is found within gay, lesbian, and bisexual (LGB) communities just as it is in heterosexual partnerships. However, much of the research has been devoted to comparing heterosexual to same-sex couples and we know much less about the specific experience of bisexual-identified people. In this research we aimed to address these gaps by providing a look at within-group variations of LGB-identified individuals and their experiences of IPV.

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 …

Why Do Women Earn Less Than Men, Carole Vincent

CRDCN Research Highlight/RCCDR en évidence

Two of the most important socioeconomic changes over the last few decades are the massive influx of women into the workforce and the remarkable progress that they have made in educational attainment. In spite of these developments, women still earn less than men. Why is it the case?
Is it because women are overrepresented in professions that are at the lower end of the pay scale? Because they place a greater value on non-pecuniary aspects of a job? Because they have greater family responsibilities? Or yet again, because of gender stereotypes in the workplace?
The evidence resulting from an important …

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, …

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 …

Poverty, Inequalities And Social Exclusion: What Do We Know And What Can We Do?, Alain Noel, Sarah Fortin

CRDCN Research Highlight/RCCDR en évidence

This report summarizes the main lessons from recent research on poverty and social exclusion from Quebec, Canada and abroad and examines the role of public policies in reducing poverty, inequalities and social exclusion.

Have The Health Gaps Between Indigenous And Non-Indigenous Australian Children Changed Over Time? Results From An Australian National Representative Longitudinal Study, Lixin Ou, Jack Chen, Kem Hillman

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the changes of health gaps between Indigenous and non- Indigenous children over time and to explore critical factors that contribute to the changes. We employed data consisting of two cohorts of Australian children: infant (0/1 year) and children (4/5 years) that are part of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Health outcomes were measured by physical outcome index (POI) and parent-rated health during 2004, 2006 and 2008. We used first-order autoregressive modelling to examine the longitudinal relationship between the changes in health outcomes and possible contributing risk factors. The results showed that …

Research Brief No. 2 - Models Of Earning And Caring: Trends, Determinants And Implications, Roderic Beaujot, Zenaida Ravanera, Jianye Liu

Population Change and Lifecourse Strategic Knowledge Cluster Research/Policy Brief

Families in Canada have undergone changes regarding the ways in which they earn a living and care for each other. Data taken from Statistics Canada time use surveys of 1986, 1992, 1998, and 2005 show changes in the average number of hours of paid and unpaid work completed by men and women.

Policy Brief No. 1 - Cognitive Function, Aging And Paid Work, Laurie M. Corna, David Haardt

Population Change and Lifecourse Strategic Knowledge Cluster Research/Policy Brief

In the context of an aging population and aging workforce, we consider the relationship between cognitive function and paid work. Cognitive function is maintained for most adults as they age, and there is evidence of a positive relationship between stimulating and engaging work environments and both levels of cognitive function and their maintenance over time. At the same time, irregular and long work hours are associated with poorer cognitive outcomes. However, the relationship between paid work and cognitive function is complex; education and training as well as health status are also related to cognitive function and work. We discuss implications …

Research Brief No. 1 - Social Inclusion Of The Oldest-Old: Toward Supportive Housing Policies, Judy Lynn Richards, Susan Sverdrup-Phillips, Jiangqin Du, Heather Maddocks, Heather Spiegel, Jennifer Brooks

Population Change and Lifecourse Strategic Knowledge Cluster Research/Policy Brief

Although most seniors aged 85+ live relatively independently in the community, research on this age group tends to focus on the negative aspects of aging. This study looks instead at seniors aged 85 and older who are living well and semi-independently in their communities with the help of an informal care provider. The study aims to identify the mechanisms that allow them to live with dignity and autonomy in their own homes and remain socially included in their communities. We conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 16 individuals aged 85 to 94 years and their primary informal support-persons in Southwestern Ontario, …

Finding Nina, Inge Meyer

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

This paper provides an account of the unique cultural experience of observing an Aboriginal infant within her extended family system while overcoming the challenges of separation from the seminar group through geographical distance. Underpinning the entire process were multiple layers of transgenerational and personal loss. There were many poignant moments in this rich observational experience.