The status of immigrant women in Canada*

A partir des données du recensement de 1971 et de celles du ministère de la Main d'Oeuvre et de l'Immigration, les caractéristiques professionnelles des immigrantes récentes sont comparées à celles des immigrants et des Canadiennes nées au Canada. L'analyse révèle que la position des immigrantes dans la société canadienne est sous l'effet d'un double fardeau: elles sont fréquemment classifiées comme dépendantes à leur arrivée au Canada alors que de fait elles contribuent de façon substantielle à la force du travail; et lorsqu'elles travaillent, elles sont plus susceptibles que les hommes immigrants de se trouver dans des professions à prédominance féminine et plus susceptibles que les femmes nées au Canada de se trouver dans des professions ‘collets bleus.’ Using data from the 1971 census and Manpower and Immigration statistics between 1961 and 1971, the occupational characteristics of recent female immigrants are compared to those observed for male immigrants and native-born female Canadians. The data analysis indicates that immigrant women bear a double burden with respect to their status in Canadian society: they are frequently classified as dependents upon entering Canada when de facto they make substantial labour force contributions; and, when they work, they are likely to find themselves in the predominantly female occupations, compared to male immigrants, and in ‘blue collar’ occupations, compared to native-born women.     

FAMILY SIZE IDEALS OF CANADIANS: A METHODOLOGICAL NOTE*

A partir de données recueillies par le sondage d'opinion Canadian Gallup sur le nombre d'enfants par famille considéré comme idéal, cet article suggère que la moyenne de 4.2 enfants par famille, statistique de 1960 fréquemment citée, est faussement exagérée. L'auteur compare les données du sondage de 1960 à celle d'un sondage antérieur (1957). Elle compare aussi les données de récents sondages canadien et américain sur la dimension idéale de la famille. Using data from Canadian Gallup Poll questions on the number of children considered ideal, this paper suggests that the frequently cited 1960 figure of 4.2 children is erroneously inflated. The discussion compares responses in 1960 to responses of an earlier 1957 poll. Comparisons are also made between American and Canadian responses to recent questions on ideal family size.     

Subjective Measures of Well-being: Differences in the Perception of Health and Social Problems

Summary Although the use of subjective measures of well-being (or otherwise)has thus far generally been confined to large scale normativepopulation surveys, the importance of subjective as well asobjective influences on the perceived quality of life has beenclearly demonstrated and some factors bearing upon the relativequality of social dissatisfaction and help seeking behaviourcan be made out. Moreover, the importance of considering positiveas well as negative life perceptions for understanding the determinantsof psychosocial dysfunction emerge clearly from this review.It is concluded that further research using such measures wouldserve to enhance our understanding of the nature and treatmentof social problems.     

A Swedish Prevalence Study of Deaf People Using Sign Language: a prerequisite for Deaf studies

A widely used estimate claims that one per thousand individuals is deaf, but few recent studies exist on the actual prevalence. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of deaf people, defined as deaf individuals who use sign language as their main mode of communication, in the county of Scania, Sweden. To achieve high validity, data were collected from a large variety of sources including both public institutions and voluntary associations, working with deaf people. The study demonstrates a prevalence of 0.7 per thousand inhabitants, a figure considerably lower than the traditional estimate. One interpretation of this finding is that the prevalence of deafness is on the decrease. Another interpretation reflects the problem to define deafness. As prevalence figures vary with the definition used, one single estimate valid for the prevalence of deafness is not possible to make. We therefore question the traditional one-per-thousand estimate of deafness.     

Socioeconomic indices and sexual inequality: a tale of scales

Cet article présente un indice socio-économique des catégories du recensement de 1971; l'indice est basé sur les caractéristiques (revenu et éducation) de tous les membres de la force de travail - plutôt que sur celles des seuls hommes (l'échelle Blishen-McRoberts) ou des seules femmes (l'échelle Blishen-Carroll). Les propriétés de chaque indice sont éva-luées au moyen des données du recensement de 1971 et du Sondage Canadien sur la mobilité de 1973. Les résultats indiquent qu'un indice construit à partir de toute la force de travail est l'instrument à favoriser pour de futures comparaisons entre les statuts occupationnels des hommes et des femmes.
This paper develops a socioeconomic index of 1971 Census occupational titles which is based on the income and educational characteristics of all members of the labour force rather than on the characteristics only of men (the Blishen-McRoberts scale) or only of women (the Blishen-Carroll scale). The properties of the three indices are assessed with data from the 1971 Census and from the 1973 Canadian Mobility Survey. The results suggest that a socioeconomic index based on the entire labour force is the preferred index for future comparisons of male-female occupational attainments.     

Social Work as an Aspect of Primary Health Care: The Social Workers' View

Summary This study is based on an analysis of social workers' viewsof their work with 168 clients referred over a six month periodin 1977 in a health centre setting. A wide range of referralswas made and there was close collaboration with other primaryhealth care professionals as well as outside agencies. Far morepsycho-social problems were encountered by the social workersin the course of their intervention than were apparent on referral,although most of the work was short term. Social work with theindividual predominated and a variety of traditional socialwork skills were employed, although the elderly received relativelylittle help with emotional problems and were offered mainlypractical help. Social workers' perceptions of their clientsare discussed in relation to their choice of methods of interventionand feelings of efficacy. The attachment scheme emerges as generallyfruitful both in terms of social workers' job satisfaction andclients benefitting from a multi-disciplinary approach; howeverthe need for closer inter-professional collaboration in meetingthe needs of the elderly is highlighted.