Social Inequalities

In their chapter for The Oxford Handbook of Social Policy in Canada, Prentiss Dantzler, Michelle Maroto, and David Pettinicchio present an overview of social inequality in Canada. The explain how structural forces create and sustain disparities between groups, as well as the role that these disparities play in sustaining the structure and function of Canadian society. The authors argue that government support, policy interventions, and the allocation of resources can either exacerbate or alleviate inequality and insecurity, creating winners and losers based on their access to various forms of support.

Prentiss Dantzler is affiliate faculty at CGSP and an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto.

David Pettinicchio is affiliate faculty at CGSP and Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, and is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto.

Citation

Dantzler, P., Maroto, M., Pettinicchio, D. (2025). Social Inequalities. In D. Béland, R. Mahon, A. Smith (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Social Policy in Canada. Oxford Academic. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197766859.013.0012

Abstract

This chapter examines systems of social inequality and stratification across Canada. It first unpacks social inequality and its importance to the structuring and functioning of society. It highlights recent economic trends to illuminate the multidimensional nature of social inequality and its material outcomes for different status groups. It then shifts to theories of inequality and stratification to elucidate how Canadian social systems facilitate disparities across status groups. Drawing examples from employment and housing, we focus on processes and practices within specific social policy areas to describe how social structures determine patterns of social stratification across Canada. Throughout, it considers how social policies can either intentionally or inadvertently strengthen or diminish various types of inequality if they fail to recognize the complex, overlapping layers of disadvantage.