Different Social Classes in Canada

Different Social Classes in Canada

Introduction

Canada, contrary to popular belief, is a highly stratified country. While the general perception to some citizens and foreigners alike is that it offers equal opportunities for individuals who strive to excel, the reality on the ground tells a different story.

The history of Canada has been tainted by social stratification and limited social mobility, which ensured that regardless of one’s talents, abilities, or ambitions, they stayed in the same social class that they were born into. Thus the poor remain poor, and the rich remain rich.

Even now, social stratification still plays an important role in Canadians’ access to services, and there are different social programs targeted at different social classes in Canada (Macionis & Gerber 2008).

This paper analyzes the different social classes in Canada. It will research and analyze the historical background of social stratification, the current state of affairs, theories, and statistics on the issue, including the different types of social programs available to the different classes today.

Historical Background

The history of Canada before the 1850s had a lot to do with communal and countryside life. However, during this time, the basic essentials of cities in eastern and central Canada had already established themselves though they were still close-knit communities with various functions linked together.

In rural Canada, there were two classes based on land ownership and agricultural production. These were Owners and Tenants. Landowners were more financially secure than tenants and could keep the full reward of their land, but tenants had to pass part of their produce to the landlord in exchange for the occupation of the land (Stelter & Artibise, 1984).

As colonialism advanced, power in the community was concentrated in the hands of military leaders, imperial administrative officials, and a closely-knit merchant class. The social geography of the country was such that the elite was concentrated in the towns while the lower classes spread to the outskirts of the city (Stelter & Artibise, 1984).

By the 1870s, more than a third of the population was in the white-collar class. More than a quarter of the labor force were skilled workers, and over a third were unskilled. The 1870s marked the advent of industrialization and specialization of functions begun, bringing with it segregation by class and ethnicity.

With urban development, there was increased social inequality and a rise in “class consciousness’ as minority groups emerged. Early studies also reveal that this 19th-century urbanization created a rigid social structure that only tolerated a small amount of vertical movement (Stelter & Artibise, 1984).

Social Inequalities in Present Day Canada

From the 19th century to date, some form of social stratification still exists in Canadian society. This is evident in the socioeconomic status of different individuals in different classes and also includes power and occupational prestige. A recent study reveals that the top 20% of families receive 43.6% of the national income, while the bottom 20% receives a mere 5.2% (Macionis & Gerber, 2008). This level of inequality has been maintained for the last 45 years.

Wealth is even more unequally distributed than income and is the preserve of those in power. White-collar workers tend to be viewed more favorably than blue-collar workers.

They receive more income and are more respected. In all categories, women are paid less than men and work mainly in female gender-defined roles such as services and clerical areas, occupations that Macionis and Gerber refer to as pink ghetto jobs. Till recently, women did not participate equally in education as men.

How a Canadian child will turn out and who he/she will be in the future seems to be predetermined by the status into which he/she has been born. Ascription plays an important role in the lives of Canadians. It would appear that our ancestry and gender determines whether we will be born into a life of privilege or poverty. Race and ethnicity are also major determinants of one’s social position.

Overall, the Canadian population can be divided into the upper class which constitutes 3-5% of the population and whose children go to private schools and enjoy immense power in occupational positions: the middle class who form 40-50% of the population; the working class who are about a third of the population and whose jobs give less income and less satisfaction compared to the middle class and lastly the lower class who have no source of sufficient source of income, are labeled as poor and rely on government welfare payments.

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