Setting a Research Agenda: Human Resources and Social Development

2 Demographic shifts & changing needs 1.People with Disabilities 2.Child Development 3.Challenges for Canadian Families 4.Seniors 5.Well-being and Participation over the Life Course Social interactions and networks: 6.Social and Economic Inclusion 7.Inclusive Communities, the Voluntary Sector and the Social Economy Seven Knowledge Strategies

3 People with Disabilities Major Questions: Inclusion: to what degree do people with disabilities enjoy equal opportunity in all elements of Canadian society? Participation: what works in assuring the voice of people with disabilities is heard? Access/Accessibility: where do barriers to inclusion and participation remain:

4 Child Development Main Conclusions: The development of older children and youth. Data required on users of child care, care providers and the quality of child care. The NLSCY: new cohorts of children are required. Research methodologies need to be sensitive to cultural differences. Major Questions: How effective are policies for childrens development over time? What is the relationship between families, their communities and child development? Why are there apparent differences in gender development, and in sub-populations, among older children?

5 Challenges for Canadian Families Main Conclusions: Continue to closely monitor the dynamics of family change. Expand the examination of families beyond the co-residential unit. Multiple research approaches should be used to examine families. Major Questions: What are the values and attitudes of Canadians across various dimensions of family living? What are the major influences impacting the balancing of work and family across the life course? How do family units provide care for each other over the life course? What are the factors impacting low fertility in Canada?

6 Seniors Main Conclusions: Institutions need to adapt to changing interests, needs and abilities of seniors, particularly those of the senior subgroups. There is a continued need for longitudinal data on senior individuals, families and communities in order to address the multidisciplinary knowledge gaps on well-being and participation over the senior life course. Major Questions: What are the capabilities and barriers of different subgroups of seniors to participation in institutions? What is the capacity of institutions to adapt to seniors interests, needs and abilities, particularly those of the senior subgroups? How are seniors perceived by non-senior individuals and by institutions?

7 Social and Economic Inclusion Main Conclusions: Social inclusion is a valuable concept for understanding the dynamics of exclusion and the pathways to inclusion. We can learn from the approaches developed in other countries and also from work on systemic racism, ethnicity, citizenship, gender, and on caring. There is important work to be done in the areas of data development, indicators, modeling/experimentation and causal analysis. Major Questions: What are the drivers of social and economic exclusion? How does social exclusion affect different population groups ? What data, indicators, models and types of analysis would help us to better understand the dynamics of exclusion and inclusion?

8 Inclusive Communities, the Voluntary Sector and the Social Economy Main Conclusions: There is a need to further engage stakeholders before developing a full knowledge strategy. Major Questions: What is the state of knowledge on communities and community actors? What do we know about existing knowledge production and transmission networks? What data do we need in order to get a better profile of communities, the social economy and the voluntary sector? What are the dynamics of relationship and capacity building within communities? What are the best practices and lessons learned?