User:Amarj15/Poverty in Canada

Neoliberalism
For the last couple of decades, the world has been witnessing a trend that implicates an unequal distribution of wealth between the rich and the poor. This trend affects a large proportion of the global population and it is present in countries that hold high and lower levels of wealth. With that being said, wealthy citizens benefit from this inequality as they are the recipients of the larger portion of wealth. Policies that fall with the Neoliberal ideology are also witnessed to be increasing and many believe there may be a correlation between the two. Nonetheless, this global trend on the distribution of wealth is important as it affects an individual’s access to resources which has direct implications for their quality of life.

Neoliberal ideas were able to take life due to the economic conditions that were prevalent in the 1970s. Events that unfolded during this decade include regime change in Iran along with the formation of an organization that is composed of oil producing nations to implement policies on the production and extraction of oil. In addition, the decisions from large corporations to offset their costs by taking their plants to countries where they could pay workers less was also a significant change that took place within this decade. These events contributed to the slow growth witnessed in the global economy during the 1970s, leaving the world vulnerable to the Neoliberal order.

The Neoliberal ideology encourages a shift from emphasizing on the well-being of the collective population towards a focus on individualism. Implementation of Neoliberal policies influenced the way in which governments around the world saw their citizens. Due to this ideology’s emphasis on capital accumulation, governments implemented policies in which citizens where characterized as individuals who pay taxes to use resources from the government. These policies include a reduction in the welfare programs that are often used by the impoverished members of society. With that being said, this ideology calls for an increase in policies that are aimed to maximize wealth accumulation. Even employers who work alongside members of society, are expected to work with the goal of maximizing wealth and offsetting costs. These decisions leave gaps in social policy and the responsibility to fill these gaps are placed on members of society. In order to account for this rift in social services, individuals volunteer their time and engage in fundraising and charity events. Nonetheless, it is evident that the implementation of Neoliberal policies has affected many disadvantaged members of society. Further, these policies have a direct effect on resources that were developed to assist disadvantaged members of society.

Neoliberalism in Canada:
Pierre Trudeau was the governing figure who introduced Neoliberalism to Canada. However, Canada’s embrace of Neoliberal policies was spearheaded by Brian Mulroney who came to power in 1984. Mulroney formed the framework for the implementation of Neoliberal policies in two ways. This government implemented policies which decreased the state’s involvement in the monetary sector. In addition, this government also worked to loosen restrictions on trade with the United States.

Mulroney’s overarching goal of solidifying the Neoliberal order was made possible through a combination of various policy changes. These include making Canada more attractive to overseas firms and through the introduction of legislation aimed at balancing the budget. Further, Mulroney’s government also strived to decrease the state’s involvement in the economy and related institutions. However, Canada was not the only country that was introducing legislation which would steer the country towards Neoliberalism, as many nations across the world were witnessing similar trends.

Researchers believe that Canada’s Neoliberal policies were moderate compared to what was happening in the United States. Many believe this is the case as American political decisions are vulnerable to being influenced by religious beliefs. In addition, another difference between the countries is that America has a large military that sways decisions made by political leaders. Due to this, researchers believe that Canada was able to ascertain a Neoliberal order which was not as radical as the one which took place in the United States.

Immigrant Poverty
New immigrants are more likely to face the adversity that comes with poverty for numerous reasons. Many find this fact unsettling as Canada has built their economic structure around the work performed by immigrants and as a result, is a leading destination for individuals wanting to leave their country. In addition, research suggests that recent immigrants are more disadvantaged compared to individuals who have immigrated in the in the past. There are many factors that contribute to this, but there is a strong emphasis on the fact that new immigrants often face an economic market that can only provide them with poorly paid occupations.

Many believe that even well-rounded immigrants are not immune to the impoverished living conditions that many newcomers face. It is recognized that immigrants who have worked for an education in their previous country of residence often face obstacles in getting their education accounted for in Canada. To build on this, individuals who immigrate to Canada tend to hold higher levels of education as compared to individuals who were born in Canada. This inevitably puts them in a disadvantaged position as they are competing for jobs against others who often have their educational achievements recognized by employers. It is evident that the problem is not necessarily that immigrants are under qualified, but that their qualifications often go unrecognized by employers.

As a result of these factors, immigrants tend to reside in parts of cities that are inhabited by individuals who are employed in low income positions. Residents of such areas are often left to confront problems such as unreliable transit systems and substandard living conditions. These areas often have fewer services available to individuals, that often puts new immigrants in a more difficult position. Further, this system of settlement often leads to segregated living conditions based on ethnicity.

Poverty in British Columbia:
British Columbia holds the title of having the most prevalent rates of impoverishment and childhood poverty within Canada. There are many factors that lead up to the disproportionate rates of poverty which affects many British Columbians. The most notable of which is insufficient wages paired with inadequate social assistance resources. British Columbia does not record high rates of poverty because of large rates unemployment, but it has more to do with the insufficient wages that many British Columbians receive. This means that although many British Columbians are employed, their wages do not give them the opportunity to live without impoverished living conditions. To add on to this, this province has seen an increase in costs for accommodation and groceries which adds more obstacles that the poor must face. With that being said, it has been noted that British Columbia is the lone province within the country that does not have any measures put in place to reduce the instances of impoverishment. Although the quality of life for the poor has been on the decline, the wealthy residents have been benefiting from the policies that were put in place by the Liberal government when they held power. It goes without saying, that British Columbia is faced with a disproportionate rate of poverty because of many interlocking factors. Nonetheless, this province has a lot of room for improvement in terms of implementing policies that can increase of quality of life for a large proportion of its residents.

Indigenous Childhood Poverty:
Canada has received international recognition for its social welfare system, but this image of Canada does not reflect the reality for many Indigenous children. Canada has been able to avoid criticism for its childhood poverty rate as statistics often do not include the rates of poverty within Indigenous reserves and the three territories in Canada. Once the data on childhood poverty in these areas is included, the statistics suggest that the number of children living in deprivation rises to 18%. It goes without saying, that this percentage of childhood impoverishment seems to implicate that Canada’s allocation of funding designed to assist Indigenous children is failing to match the severity of this problem.

It is evident that all levels of government are not completing their role in assisting Indigenous children. Educational institutions that are located on reserves often do not get the resources they need which affects the quality of education these children receive. This includes projects that aim to help give Indigenous children a chance to continue with their studies after completing high school. The reality of these initiatives is that they do not have the necessary resources to help majority of applicants as the ratio of applicants far outweighs the funding they receive.

With that being said, Indigenous children face many other obstacles due to the lack of assistance and resources from the government. There are reserves where residents are still fighting for access to safe drinking water. Further, such children are likely to reside in shelters that do not have enough room to adequately occupy all the residents. In addition, often children residing on reserves are living within houses that are in substandard condition and thus, needing urgent renovations.