Everyday Discrimination in Canada: Prevalence and Patterns

Abstract

Using nationally representative data from the 2013 Canadian Community Health Survey, this article examines the prevalence and patterning of self-reported everyday discrimination in Canada. Almost twenty-three percent of Canadians report experiencing everyday discrimination. The most common types reported are gender, age, and race, followed by discrimination based on physical characteristics such as weight. Sex, age, marital status, race, place of birth, and body mass index all contribute to individuals’ reported experiences of discrimination. Gay men report particularly high levels of discrimination based on sexual orientation; Blacks, Asians, and Aboriginals report particularly high levels of racial discrimination; and Arabs, South and West Asians, and Aboriginals report particularly high levels of religious discrimination. There is strong evidence of the persistence of everyday discrimination in Canada, across multiple social groups, despite legal protections for marginalized groups. Suggestions are made for addressing the roots of discrimination at both the individual and the collective levels.

Evidence-based recommendations to assist adults with depression to become lifelong movers

“…lack of awareness), or on the other hand, overreporting due to vigilance bias (heightened focus on their social identity status). 19 These results underscore the need to change practitioner attitudes and practices that may be detrimental to health. One in 15 Canadian adults report discrimination in a health care setting, an indicator suggestive of more overt forms of discrimination compared with global discrimination measures.…”

“…[16][17][18] Data from a national household survey indicate that everyday discrimination persists across multiple social groups in Canada. 19,20 Discrimination is often attributed to gender and physical characteristics such as weight, although the intergroup empirical patterns of chronic subtle mistreatments do not necessarily follow a straightforward socialization theory trajectory. 19,20 In particular, weight stigmatization is a commonly used umbrella term in the literature.…”

“…19,20 Discrimination is often attributed to gender and physical characteristics such as weight, although the intergroup empirical patterns of chronic subtle mistreatments do not necessarily follow a straightforward socialization theory trajectory. 19,20 In particular, weight stigmatization is a commonly used umbrella term in the literature. 21 It can be defined as "negative weight-related attitudes and beliefs that are manifested by stereotypes, rejection and prejudice towards individuals because they are overweight or obese."…”

Explaining Support for Post-Secondary Educational Funding for Indigenous Students

“…Some glaring examples include prejudice experienced during the residential school era (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2015b), and more recently the Wet'suwet'en First Nation protests (Bogart, 2020) and Muskrat Falls protests (Samson, 2017), to name only a few. It is also well documented that non-Indigenous individuals can have prejudiced attitudes towards Indigenous individuals (e.g., Morrison et al, 2008;Nesdole, Lepnurm, Noonan, & Voights, 2015), and Indigenous individuals report high levels of experiencing the effects of prejudice (e.g., Godley, 2018;Janzen et al, 2017).…”

Me, Myself and Us? The Relationship between Ethnic Identity and Hope, Resilience and Family Relationships among Different Ethnic Groups

“…According to the Canadian Community Health Survey, almost 23% of Canadians face daily discrimination with individuals identifying as Black, Asian, Indigenous, Latino, Arab, or other reporting significantly more experiences than White individuals [32]. Additionally, Indigenous students who openly participate in traditional practices and culture on campus experience significantly more discrimination than those Indigenous students who do not [33].…”