The well-being of families in Canada’s future

Abstract

The author argues that the well-being of families in Canada’s future is uncertain because families are losing the central position that was traditionally theirs. Most of the changes that occurred in and around families over the last third of the 20th century came from changes in values (from survival to personal development, from collectivity-oriented to individual-oriented), in gender relations (rising education, labour force participation, and economic independence of women), and in the legal framework that deals with family life. Such changes are still having an impact on families and this impact will likely not diminish. But more than anything else, Canadian society is moving towards a model in which immigration rather than reproduction is the main source of population growth, thus reducing the importance of the family for the development of policies. This, and the increasing political importance given to environmental issues, might further displace the family as a priority for policymaking and the allocation of public resources, and thus impair the future well-being of families.