PSY 3123 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Visible Minority, Ethnic Group, Minority Group
28 Apr 2018
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January 12, 2018
Canadian Families
Racial and Ethnic Differences
Race: a system of classifying people based on physical characteristics, such as skin colour
-Based on very apparent physical differences
-But, there is not enough genetic difference between people of different races to justify placing them in separate
groups - there is only one human race
-There is greater variation within racial groups than between them
Ethnicity: the term used to specify a group of people who share a common cultural heritage (regardless of race)
-Often not as visibly apparent
-These people have a shared experience and history
Interpreting census data on ethnicity is challenging because:
-Concept of ethnicity is fluid
-Respondents’ understanding of their ethnicity, generational cohort, length of time since immigration, and social
context at time of data collection affect reporting from one census to another
-Increasing intermarriage among various groups increases reporting of multiple ancestries
-Changes in the format of the census question and the examples provided on the questionnaire have affected
reporting patterns over time
•Ex. Including Canadian as an ethnic choice has led to an increase in this category
Visible minority: a person, other than an Aboriginal, who is non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour
Aboriginal: a person who is First Nations, Inuit, or Metis
Minority and Dominant Groups
Minority group: any group that holds less power than the dominant group
Dominant group: a group that has the greatest power, but not necessarily the greatest numbers
-NB: usually the dominant group tends to be a country’s numeric majority, but this isn’t always the case (ex.
Apartheid in South Africa)
The Canadian Population: Aboriginal Peoples
Aboriginal families consist of parents and children living together in a household, but also extended family networks
-Extended family networks often take responsibility for the care and nurture of their members
Aboriginal population is growing nearly six times faster than the Canadian populations as a whole
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-Younger population - more are of child-bearing age
-More individuals are identifying as Aboriginal
-Reserve residents are more completely counted
The opportunities of Aboriginal people are more limited than those of the general Canadian population, but the gap is
decreasing
The Canadian Population: English and French Populations
Character of English Canadian society has roots in Britain
-Canada became part of British Empire as result of conquest and colonization
-Chief responsibility was to nuclear family members
-Less encouraging of community-wide cooperation - contrary to cultural and religious practices of Roman Catholics
in Quebec or Aboriginals
Quebec government encouraged a society that mirrored France
-Initially:
•Roman Catholic Church defined family and educational goals
•Rural lifestyle was central
•Large families were ideal
•Underpinning of French language and culture
-From 1960, a new Quebec identity was forged during the Quiet Revolution
•Authority of Roman Catholic Church was replaced by education
•Industrial economy replaced rural lifestyle
•Large family curtailed by sexual revolution and contraceptive advances
•French language remained important, but it was made central only to Quebec society instead of the French
Canadian culture as a whole
The Canadian Population: Other Immigrant Groups
Diversity of Canada’s population will continue to increase significantly over the next few decades
2006 Census counted 200+ ethnic origins (compared to 25 in 1901 census)
By 2031:
-About 25% will be foreign-born and about 30% will belong to a visible minority group
-Vast majority of visible minorities will live in cities, making up 63% of Toronto, 59% of Montreal, and 31% of
Vancouver
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-Nearly half of those 15 and older will be foreign-born or have at least one foreign-born parent
Top country of birth of recent immigrants (2001): China > India > UK > Philippines
-Compared to UK > Vietnam in 1989
Most popular country Canadians adopt children from in recent years: China > South Korea
Ethnic group making up the largest group on the 2011 census: Canadian > English > French > Scottish
-Canadian was only included in the census starting in 1996
The Canadian Population: Multiracial Families
Increasing number of Canadians report belonging to more than one ethnic group
Mix-race families vary:
-Marriage and common-law unions between non/visible minority individuals
-Children born to mixed parents
-Children adopted internationally or transracially within Canada
Mixed-race couples experience difficulties arising from different cultural traditions or from prejudice of relatives
-These kind of stressors are unique to multiracial family
-Usually due to prejudice or conflict between cultural traditions/families
Video: Who Gets In (Immigration)?
Easier if you have family in Canada
-Just need to be related, in good health, and have no criminal record
Harder with no family and applying as an independent
-Requirements can change at any time
-Fewer than 1/10 get past the paper screening to the interview
•Need to be able to show that you can contribute
Refugees:
-First get screened by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and prove that you are a
refugee
•Need to be scared for your life and unable to go home
•Must prove that you can’t stay where you are (not safe in the country you fled to or there’s no hope for a future
there)
•Must prove that you’re suitable for a life in Canada
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Document Summary
Race: a system of classifying people based on physical characteristics, such as skin colour. But, there is not enough genetic difference between people of different races to justify placing them in separate groups - there is only one human race. There is greater variation within racial groups than between them. Ethnicity: the term used to specify a group of people who share a common cultural heritage (regardless of race) These people have a shared experience and history. Interpreting census data on ethnicity is challenging because: Respondents" understanding of their ethnicity, generational cohort, length of time since immigration, and social context at time of data collection affect reporting from one census to another. Increasing intermarriage among various groups increases reporting of multiple ancestries. Changes in the format of the census question and the examples provided on the questionnaire have affected reporting patterns over time: ex. Including canadian as an ethnic choice has led to an increase in this category.
