RECENT
IMMIGRANTS AND UNDERCLASS
POPULATION IN CANADIAN CITIES
Methodology - Project Design
The study's approach has been primarily
qualitative and quantitative,
exploring the Canada Census' 1996 and 2001 Current Population Survey.
Spatial analysis of the census data was at CT level to identify spatial
concentration of recent immigrants and underclass population in each
city. Spatial statistical measures such as multiple regression was
employed to examine spatial association between socio-economic
conditions and recent immigrant attributes. Multiple regression
assesses the relationship between recent immigrant population and
socio-economic characteristics. Recent studies have shown that
immigrants are more likely than non- immigrants to live in
neighborhoods with high rates of poverty and that there is underclass
of visible minorities, many of whom are recent immigrants, concentrated
in racial enclaves of poverty (Semone K. and Laurel R. 2002).
Working with an enormous amount of
data such census data requires not
only appropriate spatial definition of aggregate areas represented by
the data but also understanding how each data element is related to
another in the dataset. Poverty as a social problem has many causes and
results, and differentiating the causes from the results is important
to working out the variables to include as independent parameters.
While direct data elements can be used for some deductions, an
appropriate and a more objective prediction relies on the spatial
statistical analysis of these corporate data elements. In regards to
the scope of this project however, more sensitive aggregate variables
are considered to define poverty. All data values are collected at CT
level for each Census Metropolitan Area (CMA). Data elements worked
with are listed below.
- Recent Immigrants and total population per census tract
- Total population and population of Low income Economic
families
- Government transfer payments (%)
- Total population and population of 15 years and more persons
without income
- Total population and population of 15 years and more persons
with
education below Grade 9 by highest level of schooling
Though government transfer
payments may be considered as a result rather than a cause of poverty,
its occurrence essentially reflects an
impoverished population.