In developed nations such as Canada, the more accurate measure of poverty is relative poverty. Relative poverty is the standard by which individuals are unable to maintain the average living conditions in the society by which he or she lives in. This school of thought is largely based on the standard prevailing in the country. It thus differs depending on the country. For poorer countries, the threshold is low. Meanwhile for richer countries, those whose earnings may be considered within range in another state may be classified as poor in terms of such count.
Research has shown that poverty incidence in Canada have decline significantly. However, a portion of the population still barely inch above the poverty line. These group are composed of the indigenous people, the disabled, and those who belong to households with single parents.
The working poor meanwhile is distinguished from the welfare poor. The former depends largely on employment income to maintain below average standard of living. This is in contrast to the latter group which relies on governmental financial support for their existence.
As has been said earlier, since poverty in Canada is largely because of the high standard of living maintained in such developed economy, raising the minimum wage might have little effect on alleviating poverty. As minimum living wage is higher, the minimum expected standard of living shall also increase.
Wages in a way increase disposable income in the short term. However, with increased wages, inflation is surely to follow. Thus, in the medium term, a salary hike would have negligible effects, since the cost of living will surely catch up. Although initially the working poor will have more means to improve their lifestyle, with the societal standards made a notch higher, the wage increase will have no real lasting effect on their standard of living.
What has been the impact of the Residential School system in Canada on First Nation education and employment?
The residential School system in Canada has its roots in the 19th century, when the native Canadians, specifically the Aborigines and the Inuits were assigned to boarding schools. The goal was to assimilate them with the First Nation, the European Sector of Canadian Society. Due to funding comes constraints, churches were tasked with running these boarding schools.
The primary objective was to expose the indigenous folks to the culture of the Canadian Europeans to avoid racial segregation. However, instead of a positive effect resulting from the immersion program, research has shown otherwise. Students who were mostly children were not allowed to speak their native languages nor practice their religions. The isolated nature of the schools were breeding grounds for physical and sexual abuse. Some deaths were not even reported to the families of these children.
Genocide was not unusual in these highly unregulated boarding schools. Children were reported to have been maltreated and tortured. Moreover, with a desire to homogenize the diversity of cultures in Canada, parents were forcibly disallowed from teaching their children their language and practices, often resulting to isolation.
In fact, due to acknowledged negative effects brought by the program, the last school was closed in 1996. A public apology was likewise issued by Prime Minister Harper in 2008, following the awarding of the Canadian government of 2 billion to qualified victims of the Indian Residential Settlement in 2006.
Thus, the Residential Schooling System did not produce a positive effect towards Canadian Society in general. Instead of assimilating the culturally diverse indigenous group, it resulted to isolating them. Due to the abuses which were unreported, such system was viewed as a torturing mechanism aimed towards eliminating classes perceived to be racially distinct from the European Canadians.
What are the roles and responsibilities for the various actors in the workplace in terms of the occupational health and safety?
Part 2 of the Canada Labor Code emphasizes the crucial role of employees and employers in maintaining workplace health and safety. Being physically engaged and present in the workplace, employees have to know their rights, along with their duties.
Employees have the right to know. They have the right to be made aware of the hazards and corresponding risks in their line of work. With that, they are able to foresee the dangers and implement steps in avoiding any injuries that might ensue.
Together with knowing the risks, they have the right to participate. Their participation in the drafting of rules and measures in avoiding the hazards is a by-product of their daily exposure, making them a source of information regarding the supposed risk. Moreover, the code requires companies with more than 300 employees to create a committee responsible for resolving health and safety issues in the workplace.
Finally, employees have the right to refuse. Corollary to the right to know is the right to avoid the risk totally through a refusal to participate in the completion of the work. However, in exercising such right, there should be a reasonable expectation of danger entailed in the performance of the duty.
Employers meanwhile have the corresponding duty to ensure that workplace related accidents are avoided. They are tasked with providing sufficient training, information and supervision. It includes periodic interaction with them to ensure that their knowledge and skills are up to date, to avoid potential mishaps.
On one hand, they have the duty to inspect the workplace. Routine workplace checks are crucial in ensuring that all physical and possible hazards are mitigated at the very least.
Lastly, they have the responsibility to investigate and report accidents. They are to report serious injuries to the authorities within 24 hours to prevent a similar incident from repeating itself.
Discuss some of the historical roots of discrimination and how the continued discrimination faced by certain groups in society affects Canada.
Discrimination has been widely frowned upon by society as morally reprehensible, yet still seem to survive due to instinctive need of groups to assimilate and segregate. Moreover, discrimination has some historical roots in Canada, beginning with the disenfranchisement of the Aborigines, thought to be the indigenous inhabitants of Canada. In 1960, this group has been denied their right to suffrage.
As with British colonies, the African slave trade was rampant in the 1800’s. Parallel to the experience of other countries colonized by Europeans, africans have been originally brought in as workers owned by their masters.
Similarly, their has been a ban on Indian immigrants in 1906,followed by another legislative approved prohibition on African immigrants in 1911. The former was unwelcome due to the belief that they were more suited to tropical climes, whereas the latter were seen as unable to financially provide for themselves. The ban on coloured people was reinforced by a mandate on the Canadian Army that all members had to have European ascendants.
Not only was racial discrimination present, but gender based discrimination too. Women were not considered as persons having rights in law until 1929.
At present, although racial discrimination has declined, religion based discrimination has been anything but curtailed. There is such prevalent fear of muslims, thus the term Islamophobia. As proof that discrimination still exists in Canadian workplaces, March 21 has been the special anti discrimination day.
What is income distribution and in what ways does it affect Canadian society, discuss how the growing GDP might not mean benefits for all?
Income distribution refers to the allocation of economic resources in society. It pertains to the level of participation of all classes to the fruits of the economy. For instance, during period of economic growth, numbers essentially point towards positive gains. However, not all segments of society equally benefit from such economic gain. Some have more opportunities and access to resources than most, resulting to greater benefits than the rest of the population.
Unequal income distribution means that most of the economic benefits have been deposited among the wealthier segments of society, leaving the poor working sector’s standard of living unimproved. Although the working class may feel the gains, the trickling down of the increase in GDP is highly regulated by those who have virtual control of the capital.
Since the business owners or the capitalists largely monopolize the land and the means of earning, they have first access to the products of economic growth. Workers meanwhile, whose means of living come from wages feel the effects of a booming economy last.
Business owners determine the level of wages, following legislative minimums that set the first bar on worker earnings. Thus, an increase or growth in the economy will first fall among the pockets of the capitalist class, and will remain or perhaps linger there for sometime. Such excess income may be reinvested or sowed towards growing the company.Only through legislation or the existence of competitive labor markets will they be compelled to pass on their additional earnings to their employees.
Moreover, as with an increase in GDP, inflation is to follow, no matter how muted. The working class’ wage hike will thus have no significant effect in improving their living standard when the bar has been raised.
Racial discrimination definitely still exists in Canada. Although not admitted by most employers, the fact that companies have a disclaimer that they are an equal opportunity employer is an implied recognition of its existence.
Race sometimes may disadvantage a person from having the opportunity to be employed according to his skill and qualifications. For instance, some employers, especially those of small businesses are wary of immigrants. Their possible trust issues limits their choices among their racial group.
Some companies also have biases not due to the organization itself, but due to choices made by incumbent leaders, people who are not immune to stereotypes and assumptions. For instance, due to the unfounded fear of having migrant workers who have a cultural upbringing distinct from the organization, hiring managers choose to hire on the safer side, that is among natural born Canadians.
Moreover, aside from the obvious physical and cultural disparities, race plays a factor from being discriminated due to educational differences with the source country. A Canadian for example may require a post graduate degree for a certain candidate. Whereas, this certain country only schools its people until middle school, due to prevailing cultural beliefs.
Although racial discrimination will surely be a problem among recent immigrants, this should not hinder their access towards better work opportunities, especially through time. With more exposure, acclimatization and acculturation, such migrants should be able to melt and mold given the cultural diversity of the country. One such factor is language. Seen as a barrier, the inability to speak English or French will surely put an applicant at a disadvantage. Thus, to overcome this, one has to put efforts in studying how to speak the native tongues.
References
"Just the Facts." Canada Without Poverty RSS. 2016. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.
Racial Discrimination (brochure)." Ontario Human Rights Commission. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.
"The Residential School System." The Residential School System. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.
