Social Stratification in Canada - Essay Example

Inequality in Canada can be traced from the early 20s and 30s when historians argued that it is the time that it attained its extremity. This period was during the First World War and the disparity can be explained by the role that the richest played in the war, which is attributed to the high-amassed wealth. However, this inequality reduced during the Second World War, an era that was characterized by controlled capitalism. During this time, the country adopted a progressive type of taxation and witnessed an increase in the presence of trade unions that agitated for broad distribution of natural resources.

In the year 1980, it was also witnessed what economist refers to as the ‘gilded age’, an era when economic and social policies in the country were post-Keynesian warfare systems. However, recent years have witnessed increased levels of inequality in the country, reaching a level that is above the First World War level (Fraser). Despite the high inequality in the country, Canada fairs well if compared to other countries like the United States of America, a country that has a 10% rich population whose income equals the total of the remaining population.

The wealth distribution in the country is so capitalist that it fits into a society of 10 billionaires living with 1000 poverty-ridden citizens. Inequality in Canada is also based in the provinces and cities that the citizens live in, according to a report released by the national household survey. Ontario and Alberta are considered as some of the wealthiest cities in Canada with top earners in the country found within this city. According to the survey data, Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver also have a higher proportion of Canadian top earners while Quebec, Northwest Territories, and the Nunavut provinces have the lowest income earners among the Canadian population (Fraser).

This report in the Huffington Post provides a clear demonstration of the extent of stratification within our societies. In Canada, the richest and top income earners who are part of less than 10% of the total population control all the means of production in the country. The market structures, competitions, and values of all the players are determined through socially constructed means. The 10%, who are the wealthiest in the country own a majority of the industries from where productions are carried out.

In this society, there exists class evidence struggles as members of the society who belong to different social classes struggle for existence. The wealthiest want to control all the means of production and use the low-income earners as a source of labor for wages (Fraser). Thus, the Canadian society exists as a proletariat and bourgeoisie system where class struggles exist and are evident in the way that bourgeoisie struggle to have utmost control on the means of production as the proletariats struggle to survive under the low wages they are offered.

The bourgeoisie who are the wealthiest control the production channels and extract capital, which contributes to their high wealth from the production processes. On the other hand, the proletariats struggle to offer their services in form of labor in exchange for wages. Evidence of increased industrialization and architectural development in the country has significantly resulted in increased social stratification in the country especially after the Second World War.