social change

In the past few years, evidence has appeared suggesting that concerns about the implications of technological change may be growing. According to the most recent survey waves, a growing proportion of workers are now expressing concern with the pace of change in general, and more specifically with the prospect of automation leading to unemployment.

The purpose of the YMCA-YWCA National Survey on Child Care Policy in Canada was to explore the extent of public support for government subsidized child care programs in Canada, as well as the main factors influencing that support.

Exploring how the shift to working from home is affecting job satisfaction, productivity, teamwork, and equity and inclusion is an important step in assessing the current state of the workplace in Canada.

In 2024, YMCA Canada commissioned several reports to explore areas where significant changes lie ahead. The reports were launched at the 2024 YMCA National Conference in Halifax in June. The report on demographic change was prepared by the Environics Institute.

A lighthearted stereotype of Canadians holds that we’re prone to apologizing, and under an absurdly broad array of circumstances. When someone steps on the toes of a Canadian, the joke goes, it’s the Canadian who will say sorry.

While Canada’s history has been marked by divisive constitutional disputes, one part of the Constitution brings us together: the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Charter is seen by more people as being very important to their identity as Canadians than any other institution or symbol. It is held in high esteem in every region of the country, including Quebec.

This past year offered Canadians plenty of reasons to question their national identity. The angry occupation of Ottawa last winter, on the edge of Parliament Hill, clashed with our stereotype of Canadians as polite compromisers.

Combatting racism is now firmly on the public agenda in Canada, reflecting an evolving acknowledgment of the systemic mistreatment of racialized people.

A new national research project documents for the first time the social norms that govern how Canadians think about and act on different types of racial micro-aggressive actions directed at people who are Indigenous or Black.

The study provides an analysis of Canadian public opinion on issues facing women in Canada today and on the impact of the women’s movement. It compares the latest results to those from previous surveys conducted in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.