Perspectives On The Social Sciences In Canada

The papers included in this volume were originally presented at a conference to commemorate the opening of the Social Science Centre at the University of Western Ontario in 1973. Participants were asked to take stock of the development of their disciplines in Canada, to assay the contours of current endeavours, and to comment upon avenues of future research. Their efforts mark what is believed to be the first collective assessment of the social sciences in Canada. The contributors include: Nathan Keyfitz on sociology, C.B. Macpherson on political science; H.G. Johnson on economics; Ramsay Cook on history; and M. Rokeach on the place of values in Canadian social science. Commentaries on the papers are also included. Each author has addressed himself to one or more of the following matters: the degree to which the disciplines as practised in Canada are linked to or differentiated from their practice elsewhere; the benefits and drawbacks of a 'nationalistic' approach to scholarship in the social sciences; the contributions of Canadian scholarship to the study of society in general and Canadian society in particular; the interaction among the social sciences in Canada and the need for inter-disciplinary studies; and the unfulfilled agenda of Canadian social science. The assessments thus delineate the peculiar problems of the social sciences in Canada as well as some of the overall problems within and among the disciplines themselves.

The papers included in this volume were originally presented at a conference to commemorate the opening of the Social Science Centre at the University of Western Ontario in 1973. Participants were asked to take stock of the development of their disciplines in Canada, to assay the contours of current endeavours, and to comment upon avenues of future research. Their efforts mark what is believed to be the first collective assessment of the social sciences in Canada. The contributors include: Nathan Keyfitz on sociology, C.B. Macpherson on political science; H.G. Johnson on economics; Ramsay Cook on history; and M. Rokeach on the place of values in Canadian social science. Commentaries on the papers are also included. Each author has addressed himself to one or more of the following matters: the degree to which the disciplines as practised in Canada are linked to or differentiated from their practice elsewhere; the benefits and drawbacks of a 'nationalistic' approach to scholarship in the social sciences; the contributions of Canadian scholarship to the study of society in general and Canadian society in particular; the interaction among the social sciences in Canada and the need for inter-disciplinary studies; and the unfulfilled agenda of Canadian social science. The assessments thus delineate the peculiar problems of the social sciences in Canada as well as some of the overall problems within and among the disciplines themselves.

Social policy shapes the daily lives of every Canadian citizen and should reflect the beliefs of a majority of Canadians on just approaches to the promotion of health, safety, and well-being. Too often, those on the front lines—social workers, nurses, and teachers—observe that policies do not work well for the most vulnerable groups in society. In the first part of this new edition of Canadian Social Policy, Westhues and Wharf argue that service deliverers have discretion in how policies are implemented, and the exercise of this discretion is how citizens experience policy—whether or not it is fair and reasonable. They show the reader how social policy is made and they encourage active citizenship to produce policies that are more socially just. New material includes an examination of the reproduction of systemic racism through the implementation of human rights policy and a comparative analysis of the policy-making process in Quebec and English Canada. The second part of the book discusses policy issues currently under debate in Canada. Included are new chapters that explore parental leave policies and housing as a determinant of health. All chapters contain newly updated statistical data and research and policy analysis. A reworked section on the process of policy-making and the addition of questions for critical reflection enhance the suitability of the book as a core resource in social policy courses. The final chapter explores how front-line workers in the human services can advocate for change in organizational policies that will benefit the people supported.

What are the major issues confronting social policy-makers today? What theoretical perspectives shape our thinking about the causes of social problems and how we should respond? What can we do to influence decision makers about which policy choice to make? In this completely revised and updated edition of "Canadian Social Policy," a new generation of social policy analysts discusses these important questions. Readers who are interested in discovering the current policy debates, and who want to understand the policy-making process at various levels of government as well as how they can influence the process and assess whether policies are working, will find this book invaluable.

Still the most comprehensive and reader-friendly Canadian introduction to sociological theory and issues available, this highly anticipated third edition will encourage students to identify and analyze how sociology intersects with their own lives. With chapters contributed by over 30 renownedCanadian sociologists writing in their areas of expertise, this book offers extensive Canadian and international examples and a unified voice throughout. Incisive, authoritative, and accessible, Sociology: A Canadian Perspective, third edition, offers an engaging and in-depth introduction to thisfascinating discipline.