Insight

Hate motivated aggression is becoming alarmingly common in Canada. This typically takes the form of blatant disrespect, abuse and sometimes violence motivated by hatred or bias directed at physical symbols (such as a mosque or synagogue), individuals or groups of people, or communities as a whole. | By Keith Neuman

Canada is a much different place than it was three years ago. In 2021, the topic of racial justice was front and centre in the public discourse in response to George Floyd’s tragic murder, the Black Lives Matter movement, anti-Asian harassment, and uneven progress toward reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. | By Michael Adams, Marva Bailey-Wisdom & Keith Neuman

Prejudice against older people is relatively new in historical terms, reflecting a profound change from previous eras when elders were widely respected and often dominated positions of power and status. In today’s rapidly changing world, what was once valued in elders for their wisdom and connection to the past no longer seems to count for much as it once did. | By Keith Neuman

Survey research asks about what just happened. Unfortunately, what everyone really wants to know is: what’s going to happen next? I don’t pretend to have the answer. But I do have some ideas about what to watch for. | By Andrew Parkin

Holiday dinners are sometimes about making the best of an awkward situation, forcing smiles and exchanging pleasantries with people you’d rather not be sitting next to for very long. That’s just what Justin Trudeau did at the end of November, when he flew to Florida to dine with the incoming president of the United States. | By Michael Adams & Andrew Parkin

A new scale called the material deprivation index is better than the market-based measure when it comes to capturing the scope of poverty. By Michael Mendelson, Andrew Parkin, Geranda Notten, Richard Matern & Sofia Seer

Joe Biden’s frailty was an easy target for Donald Trump and the Republicans, but Kamala Harris’s presumptive presidential nomination at the upcoming Democratic Party convention in Chicago means they must change tack. | By Michael Adams & David Jamieson

The COVID-19 pandemic had both immediate and lingering impacts on our health. The immediate ones were all too obvious: millions died or became seriously ill. While some recovered quickly, others experienced persistent symptoms for months, if not years. | By Andrew Parkin & Justin Savoie

Should Canadians be worried about identity politics? Some commentators lament the current obsession with identity, which they say focuses on what makes us different from one another rather than on what we have in common; that identity politics only serve to divide society into resentful silos. | By Michael Adams & Andrew Parkin

A surprising resurgence of popularity for the Parti Québécois is not driven by growing support for sovereignty. But many Quebecers nonetheless identify themselves as mainly sovereigntist. What underpins this preference? Beyond an obvious preference for sovereignty, which of their views distinguish them from other Quebecers? | By Charles Breton & Andrew Parkin