SOCIAL JUSTICE APPROACHES TO SOCIAL PROBLEMS

THEORY TO PRACTICE

  • Importance of Intersectionality

    • Understanding the intersection of socioeconomic disparities and environmental racism is paramount for effective social service work.

    • Socioeconomic Disparities

    • Include issues such as poverty, inadequate housing, and limited access to healthcare.

    • These factors disproportionately affect racialized and low-income communities.

    • Environmental Racism

    • Exposes marginalized communities to higher levels of pollution, industrial hazards, and unsafe living conditions.

    • Cycle of Disadvantage

    • The intersection of these disparities creates a cycle impacting health, well-being, and opportunities.

    • Social Justice Advocacy

    • Essential for social service workers to advocate for social justice and the overall benefit of society, the environment, and the global community (OCSWSSW, Code of Ethics, 2023).

UDHR: ARTICLE 25

  • Family & Child Poverty Statistics

    • Critical examination of whether Canada upholds the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

    • Article 25 states:

    • "Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of themselves and their family, including food, clothing, housing, medical care, and necessary social services."

    • Special care and assistance for motherhood and childhood.

    • National Poverty Rates:

    • 10.3% (2019)

    • 6.4% (2020)

    • 7.4% (2021)

    • Predicted to be 9.8% in 2022 (Heisz & Gustajtis, 2023).

    • Call to assess how local communities measure poverty.

DEFINING POVERTY

  • Canada’s Official Poverty Line:

    • Estimated using the Market Basket Measure (MBM), a calculation that assesses the cost of a basket of goods and services necessary for a modest living standard.

    • Components of the MBM Basket:

    • Food

    • Clothing and footwear

    • Shelter

    • Transportation

    • Other necessities

    • Application:

    • The MBM threshold determines the minimum money required for a basic standard of living, also adjusted using an equivalence scale for household sizes.

    • Rising cost dynamics with recent statistics show that nearly half (45%) of Canadians are struggling to meet daily expenses - an increase of 12 percentage points from two years back.

MARKET BASKET MEASURE (MBM)

  • Poverty Threshold Determination:

    • Utilizes a comprehensive assessment through a basket of goods and services.

    • Adaptable Calculations:

    • Varys across Canada, reflecting community-specific needs.

POVERTY THROUGH A DEPRIVATION LENS

  • Research Findings (March 2023):

    • Food bank visits surged by 32% compared to 2022, and by 78.5% compared to 2019.

    • 18% of Canadian families reported food insecurity in the 2021 Canadian Income Survey.

    • Material Deprivation Index (MDI):

    • Enhances understanding of poverty beyond mere income metrics.

    • Identifies key deprivation items affecting living standards.

MDI SURVEY RESULTS

  • Defining Poverty:

    • Peter Townsend (1979): "Individuals, families, and groups in the population can be said to be in poverty when they lack the resources to obtain the types of diet, participate in the activities, and have the living conditions and amenities which are customary…"

    • MDI identifies household access to basic goods and services as critical.

  • Findings include:

    • 25.1% of Canadians were living in poverty by a two-item or more deprivation threshold.

    • 16.9% faced a three-item or more threshold.

  • Disparities detailed by demographics:

    • Higher deprivation rates among Black (34.4%) and Indigenous (37.4%) populations, with pronounced effects for those reliant on government transfers and in single-parent households.

SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH

  • Key social determinants influencing deprivation and poverty includes:

    • Income, food security, housing, social inclusion, early childhood development, access to healthcare.

INCOME INEQUALITY IN CANADA (2021)

  • Measuring Inequality:

    • Gini Coefficients by Canadian cities (Example: Toronto's at 0.40, Montreal's at 0.38).

    • Median After-Tax Family Income:

    • Reflects economic disparities.

  • Increasing income inequality correlates with poorer health, social fragmentation, and decreased civic engagement.

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

  • Suggestions for policy shifts to alleviate poverty:

    • Create jobs, increase minimum wage, improve workplace equity.

    • Raise social assistance and end income clawback policies.

    • Focus on Indigenous reconciliation and reparations.

    • Secure affordable child care and increase educational investments.

IMPACT OF INEQUALITY

  • Statistical insights:

    • Top 1% own 26% of wealth; the top 20% control 67.7%.

    • Significant disparity in Toronto with a median household income of $84,000 and higher low-income rates (13.2%).

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND RACISM

  • Intersectional Burdens:

    • Marginalized communities are disproportionately affected by pollution and environmental hazards:

    • Higher rates of respiratory issues, cancers, and other health issues.

    • Case Studies:

    • Grassy Narrows, Chemical Valley, English-Wabigoon River System:

      • Illustrate severe health impacts due to poor environmental practices.

COMMUNITY IMPACTS

  • Questions for Reflection:

    • How are policies contributing to systemic environmental racism?

    • What strategies can be adopted to advocate for environmental and social justice?

SOCIAL SERVICE WORKER'S ROLE

  • Direct Engagement: Help navigate healthcare, advocate for resources, and community needs.

  • Community Mobilizing: Organizing efforts for fair housing and environmental justice.

  • Research and Policy Advocacy: Understand and push for changes benefitting marginalized communities.