Causes of Poverty in Canada | Essay

Causes of Poverty in Canada | Essay Poverty in a section of Canadian society remains a major concern, with the nation scoring one of the highest poverty rates among the highly industrialized and wealthiest nations (CBC, 2013). The government of Canada, in a bid to help reduce the poverty level, has been making efforts to set up wide range of social welfare programs, including universal public education systems, universal medical systems, minimum wage among others (Conference Board of Canada, 2013).It has, however, been argued that poverty depends on individuals and that the poor are only so because they wish. These steps imply that the government structural adjustment of socio-political structures may not save the prevailing situations. Against the background of the controversial source of poverty, this paper explores some of the causes of poverty in Canada, with a special attention of whether the poor can be so out of their wish. The paper argues that even though some personal attributes may account for the poor, pove rty is also a product of structural malfunctions, and however much individuals reform poverty will persist if corresponding structural adjustments are not made. Explaining the Poverty in Canada Poverty in a developed state like Canada can be explained from various theoretical standpoints. Some scholars view poverty as a product of personal failure so that the poor remain so because of their personal limitations and traits (Lusted, 2010). This school of thought stem from the notion of meritocracy, which assert that the rewards in the society are given based on merit. From this perspective, the rich are so because they poses unique personal attributes that the poor do not have, and the superior traits or characteristics that attract of societal reward with good earnings and wealth (Lusted, 2010). Going by meritocracy, the poor Canadians are those who have personal traits that limit them from utilizing the money making opportunities available. Such trait could include laziness, poor attitude or low educational attainment. Following this perspective the poor have simply failed to pull out of poverty, not because of any structural or societal failure, but essentially of the poor s personal failure. This notion is reflected in the resistance to socio-economic programs that Canadian government has sought to put in places such as progressive income tax system, minimum wage laws and child credits. The opponents of such programs argue that by letting the poor benefit the support, at the expense of those economically endowed, the government is rewarding personal failure. The notion of meritocracy and the view that poverty is an evitable personal failure should be treated with caution. Indeed, the Canadian society and the rest of the world are becoming highly competitive. Individuals need to have high educational attainment and adequate training to secure well-paying jobs. Those who venture into entrepreneurship equally have to be diligent and innovative to survive business competition and avoid being edged out of the competition. However, it proceeds from an assumption that personal efforts and capability are all needed for wealth creation. This is a wrong and misleading assumption. Entrepreneurs, for instance, need not only enterprising skills but also capital and at times land to start up and run their businesses. Accessing capital remains challenging too many Canadians, more so for those who have no security and good social network to help raise the same (Raphael, 2011). Similarly, those seeking to be employed could have high academic qualificatio ns but the employment opportunities that match their qualifications would be very scarce (Raphael, 2011). This leads to unemployment and underemployment, which increases the poverty level. There is also evidence that structural adjustments in Canada have slowed down and reduce the nation’s poverty rate. For instance, according to Conference Board of Canada (2013) reduced tax burden on the low income earning Canadians has helped limit poverty rate by up to 11 percent. Without this social relief, the Board estimates that Canadian poverty rate would now be standing at 23 percent rather than the 12 percent as it stood in 2013.This evidence disapproves the concept that poverty is associated with personal limitations because the adjustments were on structures rather than peoples traits. An alternative view is that poverty in Canada is mainly attributed to key economic and social structural failings. According to structural theorists, poverty in a society is a product of failures at the structural levels of the society (Rank, Yoon Hirschl, 2003). Structures in society refer to social, economic and political institutions, policies and programs. Ideally, these structures should be designed in accordance with the demands and circumstances of the society. That way, there will be structural fit between the structures and limitations they are designed to remedy or goals they are designed to achieve. When the systems fail to meet the goals, needs and demands they are meant to address, or when the structures turn out to be insufficient a structural failure occurs with adverse societal consequences (Rank et al., 2003). In the context of Canada, key social and economic structures include labor market, government policies, social safety nets and resource allocation among others. One of the failures that could explain Canadian poverty is the failure in the labor market to provide adequate job that would raise adequate pay and keep Canadian families out of the poverty (Raphael, 2011). Though Canada has relatively low unemployment level, the job market is relatively saturated so that a substantial population are absorbed in low paying part time jobs with fewer benefits (Rank et al., 2013). If the labor market would offer full time, well-paying jobs with benefits. Then the poverty level would drop. The minimum wage is equally fixed at a low rate that would hardly sustain families outside the poverty level. Few social safety net and devotion of fewer resources to helping the poor are yet further explanations of Canadian poverty. Evidence by Conference Board of Canada (2013) gives strong evidence that had Canadian government not set a progressive tax system with more relief to the poor, the poverty level would be far much higher than it is today. Without socially-driven tax relief, the Board estimates that Canadian poverty rate would now be standing at 23 percent rather than the 12 percent as it stood in 2013. Similarly, various social programs such as mandatory employment insurance programs and transfer programs from the poor to the old have lessen the poverty level evidence in reduction of income inequality by 27 percent away from what it would currently be. Conclusion To conclude, while personal failures could explain isolated cases of poverty in Canada, Canadian poverty is mainly due to structural failures. Personal traits are just but one of the several determinants of wealth creation. However hard working, enterprising and well-educated Canadians may be, they can hardly get outside the poverty cycle without adequate and proper social and economic structures. Some of the social and economic structural adjustments are already helping reduce poverty rates significantly, confirming the view that structural failures would escalate poverty rate. References CBC. (2013,February 1). Canada dwindling behind on poverty, variation, says report Canada ranked 7th in 17 developed countries. CBC. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2013/02/01/business-canada-society-report-card.html. Conference Board of Canada. (2013). Children Poverty. Ottawa, ON: Conference of Canada. Lusted, M. A. (2010).Poverty. Edina, Minn.: ABDO Pub Rank, M.R., Yoon, H., Hirschl, T.A. (2003). American Poverty a Structural Failing. Evidence and Arguments. Journal of Social and Socialology Welfare30(4): 3–29. Raphael, D. (2011).Poverty in Canada: Implications of Health Quality of Life, 2nd edition. Toronto: Canadian Scholars Press.

Ideas and Beliefs in Justine Larbalestier’s Liar Essay

Justine Larbalestier’s enthralling novel Liar features unreliable protagonist, Micah Wilkins, dealing with issues of identity and truth. I have come to realise, through studying Larbalestier’s novel, that the ideas of truth and identity can be extensively challenged, that lies can become someone’s identity. Micah’s cryptic character has forced me to question what I trust and who I think I am. I have been faced with rethinking my views on sexuality, gender roles, guilt and the real meaning of ‘truth’ due to Micah’s questionable and unpredictable words. Due to society’s restrictive and sexist attitudes towards what is considered male or female, people who don’t fit neatly into a category face issues of identity and belonging. Micah’s relationship with her sexuality and how she perceives gender roles is extraordinarily untidy and indecisive. Being a teenage feminist myself, I can identify with Micah not desiring to subscribe to gender roles although I’m not entirely sure Micah is avoiding acting and looking conventionally ‘feminine’ because of feminist views. I believe Micah is genderqueer or transgender and too afraid to embrace it because it is a hard truth for her to face, â€Å"Being a boy was fast becoming my favourite lie† (p. 8). When Micah talks about her taking the pill to supress her periods she says â€Å"I wish I was a man† and that â€Å"[Her mother] thought having your period was what made you a woman† (p. 57). Perhaps Larbalestier is implying that Micah is not a woman because she doesn’t experience menstruation? Being a woman comes with oppression no matter what class or race you are in; this oppression is more often than not related to sex. Micah constantly refers to being called a ‘slut’ by her peers, â€Å"By kissing [Sarah and Tayshawn] first I confirmed the thousand slut calls†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 238). I believe there is a part of Micah that subconsciously oppresses herself. Right after Micah tells the reader she never slept with Zach she said, â€Å"See? I am a good girl after all† (p. 116). This tells me that Micah believes being a ‘good girl’ is not having sex- this only emphasises my suspicion that Micah desires to be a man because men are free of the ‘slut’ label. She has desires that she feels she can’t pursue without judgement due to her being a biological woman. Identity can be formed from the constructed truth and straight-out lies; people can create their own realities. â€Å"[The worst danger of being a liar] is when you start to believe your own lies† (p. 194). Micah’s story suggests that when you begin to believe your own lies, it shapes who you are and becomes your ‘truth’. I believe Jordan’s death contributed to Micah’s muddled identity, that his death was so traumatic that she created a world of her own to escape the reality. I believe that Micah was responsible for her brother’s death because of how she refers to him: vile, horrible and awful. Micah depicts Jordan as being this way so it’s easier for her to deal with her guilt, â€Å"†¦maybe the world is better the way I tell it† (p. 34), â€Å"We don’t talk about [Jordan’s death]. I can’t think about it† (p. 284). My assumption with this theory was formed by my own experiences. Whenever I have lost something of value, I told myself that it wasn’t that great or important anyway which resulted in less guilt and unhappiness; we lie to ourselves in hope of finding protection from confronting notions. Perhaps the reality Micah has formed for herself actually becomes reality, her truth. Society has conditioned us to accept certain pieces of information without questionning whether it really is the truth. More than with any other work of fiction I have read, Liar led me to question whether what the protagonist said was true. In the first part of the novel ‘Telling The Truth’, Micah is supposedly being honest and sincere with the reader when she reveals she is a liar; this idea in itself is problematic and intensely complicated. The way Larbalestier has written Liar challenged me, for the first time, to question why I believe what I do; why did this particular work of fiction spark such a notion, such a feeling of distrust and uncertainty? Should I have these feelings with everything I read? Whilst talking about her ability to spin detailed lies, Micah says â€Å"It’s odd how often telling the truth feels like lying and lying like the truth† (p. 53). I believe this can be reversed and applied to the reader: it’s easier to believe lies and reject truth. Constantly throughout the novel, Micah reassures the reader that she isn’t lying and that she’s a ‘good girl’; this shows that she is trying to convince herself of those things and using the reader as a distraction, a scapegoat. Micah also sounds condescending and makes the reader feel small by saying things like â€Å"You buy everything, don’t you? You make it too easy† (p. 225). This directly links back to the idea that Larbalestier is forcing the reader to evaluate why we trust and believe what we do. Every story has an underlying moral, intentional or not, and I believe Liar’s is ‘Don’t believe everything you read’. Liar has addressed many ideas and issues such as society’s view towards gender roles, identities created by one’s self, and being accepting of certain information despite the validity being possibly compromised. Larbalestier has made me question more about my values and beliefs than I thought possible. I’ve formed the belief that lies are a part of all of us, unintentionally or otherwise – they become our truth. Micah has made me think about why we as humans try so hard to seek the truth and then lie to ourselves when it’s too unbelievable. Larbalestier’s open-to-interpretation styled-writing is almost metaphorical in relation to life. No truth is absolute, nothing is exactly what it seems and everything is affected by an individual’s perception.

The Career Of A Veterinarian - 1921 Words

Veterinarian â€Å" Personally, have always felt the best doctor in the world is the veterinarian. He can’t ask his patients what is the matter, he’s got to just know†. The career of a veterinarian is adventurous because you could get to know lots things about animals that you may have not known. The research will describe the career of veterinarian what is required to become a successful person in this industry and the impact this career has on society. Once there was a little girl , she always wanted to take care of animals . She had a family friend that was a veterinarian so her and her mom had asked her, can she come into her workplace and watch her work. The next day we walked in she took us where she work at and let us watch her morning routines like check on the animals that are in the kennel, give the animals medicine, and do the animals follow ups. She knew that she really wanted to be a veterinarian that day, but that’s when she told her that you’re on ly watching you have to do it in order to surely know if you want to do this. So next thing she did was what she had to do that day routine in which she let me help with til this day she still want to be a veterinarian. The beginning of this career started out like as long as animals and people been on Earth we have always took these creatures of these creatures. These was some earliest known record detailing the practice of veterinary medicine back to nearly four thousand years ago. There have been hieroglyphics showedShow MoreRelatedThe Career Of A Veterinarian1134 Words   |  5 Pagesand how grateful she and her mother were to not lose a member of our family. The career of a veterinarian is a rewarding career, because one has the opportunity to care for beings who can’t for themselves. The research will describe the career of a veterinarian, what is required to become successful, and the impact this career has on society. The Veterinary practice began long ago, around 3000 BC. The veterinarians were mostly used for treating livestock, instead of pets. The practice had beenRead MoreThe Career Of A Veterinarian1237 Words   |  5 Pageswithout, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.† The career of a Veterinarian is a sensational and phenomenal feeling, you’ll be introduced to new people, animals, types of medicines and treatments. This research will describe the different careers in the Veterinary field, what the necessities are to become successful and what type of impact this career has on society. This career is a justifiable choice for people that have a fondness and curiosity for creaturesRead MoreA Career as a Veterinarian Essay530 Words   |  3 Pages Veterinarians provide medical services for animals that are big and small. Helping sick animals weather they are big or small. They provide medicine for house pets and farm animals. When owners take there pet to the vet they are looking for someone to provide information to them about their animal. Some of the information given to the own is about how to properly care for your animal to make sure it grows the right why. Veterinarians are there to help animals no matter the size. The amount ofRead MoreEssay on The Rewarding Career of a Veterinarian1538 Words   |  7 Pagesattention that the animal so desperately needed. Every day in the United States, veterinarians are working hard to save animal’s lives. People will always continue to want and to breed pets. Therefore, to help and cure all these pets, a steady stream of veterinarians will be needed for many years to come. Over the years, the requirements and processes to becoming a veterinarian have changed. To become a successful veterinarian one must complete all necessary education and on the job training, be friendlyRead MoreCareer Objectives : Becoming A Veterinarian935 Words   |  4 PagesCareer Objectives: Becoming a Veterinarian The path to becoming a veterinarian may seem challenging and rightfully so! Most people studying to be a veterinarian will spend at least eight years in school from the time they graduate from high school until they graduate from vet school. Not only does becoming a veterinarian require a large time commitment but it also demands academic excellence. There are countless numbers of tests throughout vet school that lead up to the â€Å"final† licensure exam thatRead MoreMy Career Job I Be A Veterinarian1564 Words   |  7 PagesFor my career job I would like to be a veterinarian. I have always loved animals, especially dogs. Also, this job would allow me to get to know a lot of different kinds of animals. I like helping animals, taking care of them, and playing with animals. And being a veterinarian, I would get to meet knew kinds of animals and have a good salary. The founding of the veterinary school in Lyon, France was by Claude Bourgelat in 1761, which was said to be started by the veterinary profession. The developmentRead MoreWhy I Am A Veterinarian1681 Words   |  7 PagesI’ve always wanted to become a veterinarian, but I have never taken the time to look deep into what I need to do to achieve my dream job. The most important things to know are the educational requirements, duties, work environment, salary, the educational requirements on a collegiate level, and the demand for that specific job. So after researching this will I still be interested in a career in veterinarian medicine? One of the things I learned about veterinarians is the educational requirementsRead MoreStatement of Purpose to Become a Structural Enginieer or a Veterinarian920 Words   |  4 Pagescertain requirements have to be met. Requirements such as what the job will have you doing, your responsibilities, and the available work environment. The two careers that I am interested in are structural engineer and veterinarian. There has always been a place in my heart for all animals, and the size of type doesnt matter. For both career schooling is manageable. Examining, communicating, and testing are important responsibilities and duties that both fields require. I talk a lot and am friendlyRead MoreAn Introduction To Becoming A Veterinarian Essay1667 Words   |  7 PagesResearch Paper October 5, 2016 We Like Big Mutts and We Cannot Lie: An Analysis of Becoming a Veterinarian Imagine a family bringing in their deathly sick dog, everybody in tears, everybody relying on you to save their dog. A veterinarian will probably go through this situation many times throughout their career. I have a strong passion to work with animals from all over the world. My grandpa was a veterinarian, and he always told me stories about what animals he worked with and where all he traveledRead MoreAn Introduction To Becoming A Veterinarian Essay1449 Words   |  6 PagesResearch Paper October 5, 2016 We Like Big Mutts and We Cannot Lie: An Analysis of Becoming a Veterinarian Imagine a family bringing in their deathly sick dog, everybody in tears, everybody relying on you to save their dog. A veterinarian will probably go through this situation many times throughout their career. I have a strong passion to work with animals from all over the world. My grandpa was a veterinarian, and he always told me stories about what animals he worked with and where all he traveled

Question Of Homelessness in New York - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1556 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2019/03/26 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Homelessness Essay Did you like this example? There is said to have been many ways to describe and understand what exactly homelessness is. The basic understanding of homelessness is a state of being in which a person lacks the basic right of having housing. With this being said, there are several ways in which this definition can become something to branch off of and be elaborated on . Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Question Of Homelessness in New York" essay for you Create order An individual who lacks their own permanent housing but is living within a temporary facility such as a shelter or even group home can be categorized as homelessness. Within the state of New York City, homelessness is seen to be such a growing epidemic and continues to be a prominent social issue. In fact, it is said that homelessness in New York City as reached skyrocketing numbers since the Great Depression which occured in the 1930s. According to research, In October of 2018, there were 63,559 homeless people, including 15,572 homeless families with 23,136 homeless children, sleeping each night in New York City municipal shelter system. Families make up three-quarters of the homeless shelter population.(Coalition for the homeless). Studies show that homeless is linked to many factors such as mental illness, low-paying jobs, and drug use. Studies show that 30% of all homeless individuals are current victims of at least one mental illness, and while 70% make up the population thats drug users. With all of the current budgets, statistics, and proven facts, it is extremely prevalent and obvious that homelessness is a serious matter and is something that needs to be addressed with extreme urgency. According to the Bowery Mission, a ministry based organization that focuses on serving the homeless and hungry New Yorker population, states that In a city of 8.5 million people, nearly 1 in every 128 New Yorkers is currently homeless. But only 1 out of every 17 of these individuals is visible to the eye. With this being said, this shows that homelessness has no face, nor do they look a particular way. Homelessness affects individuals of all ages, all ethnicities , an cultures. When we link homelessness to historical events in the past, they link with the deinstitutionalization movement along with the single- resident occupancy housing market(Durham, 2010). The Deinstitutionalization movement was a government based policy that was said to remove mentally ill patients whom were being treated in insane asylums, out into the general community. In results of this emerg into the general community, not only were individuals going without the proper treatment, but because their mental illness served as a barrier for them to obtain housing, they became apart of the homeless population. About 200,000 of individuals who live in the New York State, whom suffer from schizophrenia or bipolar disorder are said to be homeless. The primary purpose of this entire movement of discharging these individuals into the community, was because the government was having extreme budget cuts. With this act, now individuals whom were homeless, now end up in jails and prisons. It is said that 16% of inmates were severely mentally ill. It is said that there are more than three times as much people whom suffer with mental illness in jails and prison facilities then th ere are in hospitals. Following the deinstitutionalization movement, with the number of psychiatric centers holding patients across the New York State decreased significantly between the early 1960s to the late 1970s. Obviously one of the major outcomes of this movement was that individuals were not receiving the proper support they needed or treatment at that. This is where the single resident occupancy units came into play. Property tax and gentrification policies financially incentivized people who owned SRO buildings to convert SRO units into expensive cooperatives, rental-housing, and condominiums. This turn of events led to the decline of SRO housing which went on for several decades thereby limiting the access to affordable housing. (The Balance , 2000). Which again , gave individuals no other option but to turn to the streets and become homeless. In New York state, minorities groups in the United States experience homelessness at such higher statistics than other demographics. With this being said, African Americans and Latino New Yorkers are disproportionately affected by homelessness. When linked to past history, slavery and even segregation have proven that African Americans have been denied the basics of opportunities and equal rights. With the constant battle of constant discrimination, this topic correlates with the higher rates of poverty , lack of housing , being in prison system, and lastly lack of health care. As history repeats itself, African American households are more likely to experience higher rates of poverty when compared to white new yorkers. Because blacks are more likely to live in areas of high poverty, these means that these particular areas have limited financial and economic opportunities, lack of community resources, and higher poor educational systems. African Americans within history have been pro ven to have go work ten times harder due to racism within society, but it makes it even more difficult for them to be successful and beat the odds when they have some many barriers and obstacles in their way. According to studies done by the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development , people of color were often shown fewer rental units, offered higher rents, and denied more leases than Whites. Rents and minimal wage growth within NY have put a huge weight on households with a limited amount of resources. 60% of New Yorkers say they dont have enough emergency savings to cover at least 3 months worth of expenses such as food and rent. And nearly 20% of New York City residents already live below the poverty line (earning less than $24,300 for a family of four). With that being said, trying to create a system in which wages are increased to help families and individuals maintain a more stable financial control over their life expenses including rent can potentially help decrease the numbers of homeless individuals in New York. Studies have shown that one of the main causes of homelessness especially when it comes to families, is the lack of affordable housing. So another proposal would be to work on the current affordable housing policies within New York and implement new strategies to increase individuals/families ability to have a home. An increase in wages, as well as the city seeking a more stabilized population of homeless individuals by creating new shelters and providing more resources to help individuals not only gain housing but as well as grow independence so that they can maintain a living. Implementing systems such as rental aid for individuals who may be need the help, can provide temporary financial assistance as well as encourage those to know that this aid is only for a limited time. This can provide the needed motivation and again help families and individuals gain that sense of independence knowing theyre working to have a better life to one day be able to provide for themselves. Also to help these individuals gain work experience, it is imperative that the government create budgets to provide resources that focus on low-skilled individuals who maybe lack prior education history, gain the basic skills and more, to help them get on their feet and work . This gives New Yorkers the ability to again work for their own, and feel that theyre not solely depending on the state to get them through this hardship. Of Course individuals need to fit into certain criteria in order to be selected for programs as such, but creating this criterias can motivate individuals to do right, align themselves on a better path, and hopefully gain their deserved independence. Overall when we look at America as a whole collective, we possess enormous amounts of riches. With this being said, America let alone New York State has the ability to bring an end to this growing epidemic. Not only should budgets to decrease homelessness be implemented, but also to provide community based resources that focus on helping individuals stray away from even becoming apart of the statistics. We see that those whom are unemployed, those who own homes that are in foreclosure, those whom are in and out of the prison system , and youth whom are in the foster system ; so focusing on these groups and providing not only guidance and resources that can educate these people on taking proper steps , can help on the path to decreasing these numbers. It is obvious that homelessness is something that will not be abolished overnight. However with much dedicated time, effort, this social welfare issue can decrease enormously . If proposals discussed earlier, along with other programs become implemented, homelessness can decrease drastically. For individuals from NewYork who are homeless with no sort of steady income, it is exptremely imperative that the state provides these individuals with decent housing . At the end of the day, having a home is a human basic right, and no one should be subjected to terrible living conditions. It is important that New York authorities become extremely vigilant when evaluating people who do receive services such as shelters. Many people try to manipulate the system, while others who need the actual system are losing out on the opportunities to recieve the help they need. More focus is needed on those in a real sense, cannot afford housing on an independent level. Strict policies that focus on those whom are in extreme need of assitance can hep with this growing issue in New York State.