18 - iassist quarterly

Canadian social

trends:
a new Statistics Canada

social statistics publication

by D. Craig McKie, Ph.D.'

Chief, Social Reporting & Editor, Canadian

Social Trends

Housing, Family and Social Statistics Division

Statistics Canada

In the last ten years at Statistics Canada, the

governmental collector and keeper of the

nation's storehouse of numerical information

about itself, momentous changes have occurred

in the ways data are collected, processed,

analyzed and published. It is not recogniiably

the same organization I first joined in 1977.

Since that time, the widespread importation of

new methods and new technology have in ttim

been refiecled in organizational changes.

Accompanying these changes have been

pressures to reduce costs and overall staff levels

and to recover a larger part of the costs of

operadon from clients.

While the technical aspects of this change are

perhaps better known (and we could refer to

random digit dialing-based interviewing

techniques, a microcomputer on every other

desk, and very sophisticated analytic software

and graphics hardware to match it), changes on

the publishing side have also been considerable.

But while the necessity for modernizing the

dissemination of data has been well recognized

(by, for instance the widespread acceptance and

use of electronic bulletin board type data

services and the Bureau's own service CANSIM,
and by sales of data on floppy disks, user tapes,

and other similar services), publishing has not

received quite the same amoimt of attention.

The Bureau, for instance, still publishes many

strange and exotic publications such as: the

Cereals and Oilseeds Review, Gas Utilities, The

Dairy Review, and last but not least. Sawmills

East of the Rockies.

'Presented at the International Association for

Social Science Information Service and
Technology (IASSIST) Conference held in

Vancouver, Briush Columbia, Canada on May
19-22, 1987

However, the number of users of whatever

origin who are ready to plow through table

upon table to find a single figure - or to

construct their own annual dme series from 25

years of monthly pamphlets is limited. Further,

many users have neither the time, the training,

nor the inclination to do such work.

Those who decline to engage in such activities

are legion. Some telephone me; undoubtedly

some may telephone some of you. Indeed, at

Fall/ Winter J 987



iassist quarterly - 19

the recent meetings of the Population

Association of America in Chicago, one eminent

demographer, who shall remain tmnamed, stated

to one of my colleagues that it was easier to

obtain Zambian data than to get it from

Statistics Canada.

Such reactions are not tmcommon. Foreign

nationals, or the inexperienced, simply do not

know where to begin. Other domestic users,

although they know how to begin, lack the iron

will necessary to persist in their quesL They
tend to fall into several broad categories of

persons. Three prominent types are:

1. those who are interested in a subject but

lack the knowledge of how to go about

finding suitable data and who are intimidated

by the traditional publication of official

statistics [massive cryptic tables with lots of

footnotes, runic symbols, and qualifications

which seem meant to undermine any simple

interpretation of the contents]

;

2. those who know what they want and where

to find it but cannot afford the time to

assemble the data nor interpret it [there are

few who do not shudder at the task of

sorting through 52 pages of tables, the

numbering of which may change from year

to year, over enough years to assemble a

graph which can indicate the direction of

change, perhaps standardized to some rate

per population]

;

3. those who don't want data at all but rather a

prose summary of a data set to use as

evidence.

necessary. Our subsequent activities in search

of such a format have been based on the

premise that there is a significant demand from

a wide range of governmental and

non-governmental agencies for comprehensive

and systematic information which identifies,

describes, and analyzes social trends and

conditions in Canada. This demand is expressed

in a number of ways including requests to

Statistics Canada for assistance, information, and

ideas. These requests come from government

agencies, members of parhament community

groups, and the press. Canadian Social Trends

is one response to these requests.

There is much potential for information which

illuminates the social conditions which are the

objects of policies, programmes, and public

concern. After some trial and enor, which

involved the preparation of a similar aimual

format (it was discarded because of the

inevitable loss of timeliness in an annual

publishing cycle), the final decision was to go

with a quarterly format which at least

superficially looks like a news magazine - a

format familiar to almost everyone in western

countries and one users expectations of which

are in a sense built-in. One expects succinct,

highly graphical treatment of issues pertinent to

the reader (they are not arcane) interspersed

with advertising (information).

The start of publication of Canadian Social

Trends is one notable aspect of the latter type

of change.

I think it was our belief when we started to

think about the form of what turned out to be

CST, in 1984, that most Canadians, to the

extent that they seek to use Statistics Canada

material, fall into one of these three categories

or subsets of them. To' reach such people with

useful information, a new format wotild be

The New Publication

In terms of the number of its publications (in

excess of 600) Statistics Canada could well be

the largest publisher, public or private, in

Canada. However, its publications have by

tradition been dry and heavily given to technical

Fall/Winter 19S7



20 - iassist quarterly

detail. In contrast, Canadian Social Trends is an

entirely new type of publishing endeavour for

Statistics Canada.

The purpose of CST is to report on changing

social conditions in Canada in order to provide

government and corporate policy-makers and

planners, marketers, and others with a basis for

decision-making. It provides recent and

historical evidence for the direction and

magnitude of change of important social trends.

Its intent is to describe and make evident a

trend's inter-relation with policy concerns, and

promote an understanding of social conditions

(and economic developments where a direct

social outcome is established).

The publication has five distinct objectives:

1. to provide decision-makers in government,

industry, and the social service sector with an

awareness of social and socio-economic

trends and information relevant to their

environment in an appealing format

Improving accessibility to Statistics Canada
information and information products is the

prime objective;

2. to provide users with a single, authoritative

source for social trend description and

analysis in an easily accessible and readable

form. The intention is to integrate sets of

data and make the connections between

isolated findings;

3. to provice committed information users with

information about Statistics Canada's data

holdings, information products, and services;

4. to provide Statistics Canada with a flagship

with which to raise public awareness of its

corporate character, value, and contributions

to the public interest The publication

supports the data collection process by

showing a public return of information to

respondents - this return helps justify

impositions on respondents' time;

to provide a vehicle with which to publicize

the existence of Statistics Canada information

and data products and statistical services to

get the greatest possible use from a

considerable investment of public ftmds in

data collection while at the same time

earning revenues to help defray the costs.

Audiences foreseen or already realized for this

publication are: policy-makers and planners,

both governmental and corporate, social service

agencies, educators engaged in teaching social or

Canadian studies at the secondary' or

post-secondary level, libraries, the media,

international information repositories, and

market research concerns.

Subject matter is selected according to a loose

formula. In each issue there should ideally be

found one article on each of the following

general topics: demography, labour force, and-

income. In addition, a rough rotation of issue

selection exists with respect to institutional areas

(e.g. culture, health, education, and justice); and

with respect to target groups (i.e. women, the

elderiy, youth, native peoples, and the disabled).

New Presentation Styles

It is difficult in words to describe style.

Therefore I will show you some before and

after shots of the same data in the old and the

new format (see examples collected together at

the end of this article. Ed. note).

Now entering its second year of publication,

CST is intended to be the authontative voice

for Canadian social statistics as they are

collected and disseminated by Statistics Canada.

The quarteriy publication attempts to place

social statistical reporting on a much more
accessible basis than was previously the case. It

Fall/Winter J 987



iassisl quarterly - 21

carries analvtical articles of var\-ing lengths on

important topics of social statistical reporting

(such as the decline in fertility' and the increase

in lone parent families). Each edition of the

report is approximately 44 magazine format

pages long and feattires text written for the

educated layman. With 25 - 30 graphics per

issue (photographs and illustrative drawings), it

is primarily intended to be used as the best

source of Canadian social trends material for

government policy makers, plarmers, and private

sector marketing specialists in addition to

students. There are no private sector

publications which compete with CST. As a

result, it has qtiickly become the obvious source

for Canadian social statistical data and carries

new analyses and data reporting in addition to

publishing simmiary articles on previously

released data. In addition, each edition carries a

social indicators page and notices of the release

of new Statistics Canada publications which

might be of interest to readers.

What is really novel about this publication is

that it is a clear departure from the usual

'miilti-table and short descriptive text' format

traditionally associated with governmental

statistical publications. Early acceptance of the

format has been much greater than initially

expected: Canadian Social Trends already has

the largest paid subscription of any Statistics

Canada periodical publication and indications

are that interest outside the country is high,

perhaps reflecting the fact that for a foreign

reader tmfamiliar with Canadian social statistics,

this publication is in most senses

self-explanatory, carrying with the articles the

definitions and data qualifications necessary for

reuse without further reference to sources. A
three hour audio-visual presentation is also

available to clients for a fee when resources are

available.

diskette in Lotus format, thus gready shortening

their data collection and processing times and

reducing the cost of data acqtiisition accordingly.

The publication is put together by a full time

staff of six people, including myself, with the

assistance of a professional design firm and

students from Canadian university co-operative

programmes. At any given time, we have from

two to four imiversity students on work term

assignments. They receive course credit for

working for the project In addition, we employ

some contract writers and editors, although the

btilk of the editorial content is generated from

within Statistics Canada.

The publication is issued in both official

languages. Page design is by a contract design

firm.

Examples

I will use the remaining time available to me to

show you some concrete examples of what we
mean by social trends, (see examples cdlecied

together at the end of this article. Ed. note).

They may be thought of as significant changes

of direction in the measures of significant social

institutional variables.n

Underiying the publication is a time series

database containing some thousands of series.

At some point in the futtire, clients will be able

to purchase collections of these series, on

Fall/Winter 1987



22 -
iassist quarterly

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iassist quarterly - 23

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Population Distribution by Regions

Millions

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Fall/Winier 1987



lassist quarterly - 37

BdttdHlfiiiBHHHHMBaHa i^imgmsggiiiiiiiyia^gii

CONTENTS

Features
Families: Diversity the New Norm New family l>pes are

transfurming scxial and legal iradiliuns as well as market

ihinking

by Maryi Anjie Burke

Expanding the Choices Cable leievision, saielliies and
VCR's are creating a new home entertainment and information

environment
by Ted \1'tiniiell nuJ Cruig McKie

Changing Health Risks The primar>' threat to the health of

Canadians has shifted from infectious diseases to socially or

environmentally related conditions.

fo)' Mury Antte Burke

The Law — A Changing Profession Profiling Canada's

lawyers

by Crciig McKie

Trend Reports
Canada In the 21st Century

Foreign Students

Child Care

Births to Lnmanied Women
Private Education

Canadian Social Trends
Editor

Associate Editor

Managing Editor

Assistant Editors

Consulting Editor - -^-—

>

Art Direction

Design

Marketing and Proinution

Composition

13

3

11

19

20

27

David Bruscgard

Craig McKie

Colin Lindsay

Mar>' Anne Burke, Jo Anne Harliameni

—tisa Kwong '- " • " "

Greg Moore

Kobeno Guido, Baicejamieson, Jill Rcid

Judith Buehler, Kaihr^n Bonner

Monique Legare, Rachel Mondou

Acknowledgements

C>iiihia bieerb. Gordon Priest, Boriss Mazikins, Owen Adams, Doug Angus, Jim

NUcDonald, .Michel Durand, U'endy Hansen, Howard Clifford, Anatole

Romaniuk, Sandra Ramstxjitom.John Silins, David Bray, Ian Macredle, Andre

Libelle, Sylvie Mercler. Beryl Gorman, Lucie Laniadeleine, RIcarda Windthorst,

Georgciie Gaulin, Daniel Scoll and Sylvie Blais

TuvClrlsRetulhijj'im Dr)ninc

) ill Cjfudd, t.>uv^-j

U'/i X 2i)'/. in . IHyb. NjliDiul

ISSN 0tl31 5698

Fall/Winter 1987



38 - iassist quarterly

I :
-\

CONTENTS
Low Income in Cunada

by Suzanne Melbul

The Changing InduMrial Mix of Employment,
I95II985
by W Gilnut I Haul

Ihe Decline in Employment Among Men Aged 55-64,

1975-1985
by Colin LinJiuy

Increases in long-term Unemployment
byJoAnne I'arluiinent

Lifestyle Risks: Smoking and Drinking in Canada
by Cruig McKie

Low Educational Attainment in Canada, 1975-1985
by Bi i^itla AniDli

Migration Between Atlantic Canada and Ontario,

19511985
by Mtiiy Anne Hiiike

A Profile of Employed Migrants between Atlantic

Canada and Ontario
by Hubert Hiscutt

Social hiUicaturs

Art Direction and
Composition

Design

Photos

Promotion

35

39

CANADIAN SOCIAL TRENDS
Editor Craig McKie

Managing Editor Colin Lindsay

Assistant Editors Mary Anne Burke. Jo-Annc Parliament

Hublications Division, Staiisiics Canada

Griffe Design

Plioio Centre, SSC

Cheryllynn IrelandtTotry Donaiucci ' ^

Review Committee jW Coombs, J Hagey, D B Peine, GE Priest,

L T Pryor, M Rochon

Acknowledgements Mariin Dials, Catherine Bronson. litryl Gorman,
Lucie Lamadtlcinc, Myriam Laportc, Isabelle Lavoie,

Louise Pavelcy, Cheryl Sarazin, Daniel Scon, Caihy
Shea, Tim Stringer

Cin^dUn Social Trend) I Cjiil.i^ur 1 I UUHi I ii published luunimri a >c,irh> Slaiiiiii.» Canada. PuhliLaiion
SjIc» uiij»j. Unlit. o, (jiijdj KIA 016, Itlcphu^cl6l)|^l';^^u7a Copyrinhi 1';h6 b) SiiniiK^ Cinidi.
illtmhiirtjcrvcd fic>nb» po>li8c pjid ii Oiijwi Oncjno, Cjnjdj Slbbt-HIITION KATES Hiiititm
Cjnjdj HUclicahccc Sinijlcixuc • I 2 SUcich.iK jnidi I IS cl>c»hcfi: SrnJ >ub>ic.piHin u.dcrwiid jd
dlciii.h-j»grwuSlil.MKi(_jnjdi, Hublii ju.in Siki Oiii» i. Oiujfiu Cjnjdi MA 0Tb Pic j^c supply b,ith

n.x.ctkslonliinBr I ..rtc.p.jndcnic mi) be ldd.c-»><:d li.lhc tdil.ir. Ciiia
rends, I hhHooi Jtin 1 il.m Bu.ld.nu uiiiwi, Oniinu, k 1 A Ofb Cinadlin SocUl Trcndj

iny iriKlc herein, piui idcd trcdii is given lo Siiiiiiii> Cinidi ind Canadian Social T:

pcciil perniissiuni ui hulk nrders should be iddicssed in the ncircsl Regiuuil Ollue

^ iddi

i.ihci

t Panuge. Hunt tttand, B ( r Idvi 1| lluBhc:

Fall/Winter 1987



iassist quarterly - 39

yj^iiasii^gMiauimmaamitiumm tgmtttKtuuuUii uuit tma

CONTENTS
Annual Review uf Labour Force Trends 2

by Culiu Liniliuy and Cruig MiKie

The Growth of Part-time Worli 9
6)' Midry Anne Burke

Education in Canada: Selected Highlight!) 13

by Jo Anne Parliament

French Immersion 22

by Jo-Anne FarlianienI

Immlgraiion 23

by Mary Anne burke

The Labour Force Participation of Immigrants 28

(Adapted Jroni an article by Nancy McLaughlin)

Trends in the Crime Rate in Canada, 1970 1985 33

by Culin Lindsay

Common-Law: Living Together as Husband and \^ ife 39

Without Marriage

by Craig McKie

The Value of Household Work in Canada 42

(Adapted from an article byJ L Swinanier)

Social Indicators 43

CANADIAN SOCIAL TRENDS
Editor Craig McKic

Managing Editor Colin Lindsay

Assistant Editors Mary Aiinc Burke. Jo Anne I'jrliamcni

Art Direction and
Composition

Design

Photos

Review Committee

Acknowledgements

PubliLaiiuns Division, Siuiisiics Canada

Griffc Design

Regional and Indusirial Expansion. Plioio Ccnirc, bSC

J W Coombs. J Hagcy. D B Pctric.

G E Prics^E T Pryor, M Rochon

Sylvie Blais, Lucie Lamadeleine, Elizabcili Marcclla,

Kale McGregor, Suzanne Mclhot. Louise Quiiin, Sandra

Ramsbollom, Daniel Scon. Cailiy Shea, Tim Sinngcr

CanadUo Sotlal TrciidsK aiilugut 1 1 008E) l^ published (our linio i ycir b) Suiiiliti Canjdj, Publicj

nun biles, Oniwi, Onlanu, Oiuda, KIA 0T6. ickphonc i6H| Vyi-Sirs Lopinghl ISISO b) Slalislics

Cjrudi, ill riKhls tcK-r\cd firsl cbss posiigc pjid il Olljwa, Onuno. tinjdj SUBSCRIPTION RATES

In 1 )cir in Cjnjdi. ISO ckcwhclt Single isiuc »I2 SO cjih in Cjnjdj. «I5 elsewhere Send sub-

sLnpliun urders ind address Lhanges (u SiaiislKS Canada, HubliLaiiiin Sales. Oilawa. Unlario. Canada

KIA OTO Please supply both uld and new addresses and alluw sii weeks tor change Corre>pondencc

may be addressed lu the Editor, CaaadUo Social Treads, 1 lib Flour, Jean Talun Building. Ottawa.

Ontario, KIA OTO Caoadlan Social Treads is not responsible lor unsolicited materials Permission is

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Cover; Manlluba Parly b) William kuteiek

oil and pencil on board -iH" « 00' I'XH

'(Mrs ttilliain Kurelekl The Isaacs Cillery ,
Toronto

Collection National Gilltry ul Canadi, Ottawa

ISSN 0831 5698

Fall/Winter 1987