PSY 3123 Lecture Notes - Lecture 20: Canadian Observatory On Homelessness, Visible Minority, Old Age Security
28 Apr 2018
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April 4, 2018
Poverty and the Family
Poverty
How we define poverty will affect who gets labelled as poor and the number and the types of programs we develop to
address this problem
Absolute poverty: lacking the basic minimum required for physical survival
Relative poverty: definition of poverty based on comparing individuals or families to others in the population
-Considers social-well being as well as physical survival
-Most measures of poverty in Canada, such as Statistics Canada’s low-income cutoffs, are definitions of relative
poverty
Most commonly used definition is Stat Can’s low-income cutoff (LICO)
-Takes into account family size, up to seven members
-Poverty lines are set at a level where a family needs to spend more than 70% of its income on food, clothing, and
shelter (basic necessities)
Three factors influence the impact of poverty:
-Depth: the amount a family or individual incomes is below the poverty line
•Degree of poverty
-Breadth: other aspects associated with poverty (e.g. illiteracy, poor health, physical insecurity)
-Duration: how long poverty lasts
Who is poor in Canada?
Determining the number of poor people in Canada is difficult
-Total depends on the definition used
-Very poorest of the poor are almost impossible to count because they include the homeless - probably not going to
fill out the census
Five groups stand out:
-Unattached people (45-64)
•Too young to qualify for a lot of government age (below retirement age)
-People with disabilities
-Off-reserve Aboriginal people
-Recent immigrants
-Lone parents (especially lone mothers)
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April 4, 2018
In every working-age group, those most likely to be poor are younger, have lower levels of education, and are less
likely to hold full-time jobs
Women are likelier than men to remain poor longer
Decrease in poverty is being seen among the elderly as a result of improved pensions and government benefits
-Ex. Old Age Security is paid to all seniors
•Though subject to clawback at higher income levels
•For those with low incomes, benefits also provided through Guaranteed Income Supplement
-A large number, however, are among the near-poor (many are women)
Recent immigrants (those who arrived in Canada after 2000) have a greater risk of poverty, especially in larger cities
-Rates are the highest for those in Canada one to two years
-Entry-level jobs, which many immigrants must take, are usually low-paying
•Degrees from their home countries may not be recognized
-Those who come from countries with language and customs very different from Canada’s may have the most
difficulty finding well-paying jobs
What is beyond the numbers?
One of the most striking factors about poverty in Canada is that many people who live in poverty have jobs
Typical working-poor family:
-Most likely to live in a city in Ontario
-Have less schooling than others
-Have more children
•Even a family with only one child and both parents making minimum wage can be poor
-Parents are aged 22-44
-Have only one employed family members
Homelessness
No exact figures for the number of homeless people in Canada
-Number of homeless changes from day to day, as do definitions
The homeless include two-parent families, single parents and their children, single women, older persons, and young
people
-Among them are psychiatric patients and individuals with disabilities
Three different groups among the homeless:
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Document Summary
How we de ne poverty will affect who gets labelled as poor and the number and the types of programs we develop to address this problem. Absolute poverty: lacking the basic minimum required for physical survival. Relative poverty: de nition of poverty based on comparing individuals or families to others in the population. Considers social-well being as well as physical survival. Most measures of poverty in canada, such as statistics canada"s low-income cutoffs, are de nitions of relative poverty. Most commonly used de nition is stat can"s low-income cutoff (lico) Takes into account family size, up to seven members. Poverty lines are set at a level where a family needs to spend more than 70% of its income on food, clothing, and shelter (basic necessities) Depth: the amount a family or individual incomes is below the poverty line: degree of poverty. Breadth: other aspects associated with poverty (e. g. illiteracy, poor health, physical insecurity)
