Recognizing Precarity? A Comparative Analysis of Governmental Documents in Provincial and Federal Administrations.

Patrik Marier, Amanda Grenier, Karen Kobayashi, Debbie Rudman, Yoana Garcia-Poulin*, Stephanie Hatzifilalithis, and Chris Philipson. (2022)
Canadian Public Administration, 60(2): 278-294.

Abstract

With an aging population, have federal and provincial governments acknowledged the diversity of the policy needs of older adults? This contribution analyzes administrative and policy documents across ministries to study the frequency and the depth of engagement involving older adults with a disability, older immigrants, and those living in poverty. Precarity received marginal treatment with very limited discussions combining aging in relation to disability, immigration and migration, or poverty. Most documents focused on poverty. Disability and aging are discussed in parallel and rarely in conjunction with aging. These findings suggest a low level of priority for precarity and aging.