People are placing less importance on friendliness, reliability, honesty, having babies and “being a Canadian,” finds Reginald Bibby.
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As one of Canada’s leading pollsters for the past 50 years, Reginald Bibby has proved relentlessly curious and fundamentally optimistic about this country and its people.
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At age 83, however, the dogged researcher is seeing some disturbing trends. They relate to how Canadians feel about friendliness, happiness, loneliness, their finances, the nation, their sex lives, their spiritual inclinations, trust levels, and more.
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While it’s not all gloom and doom, Bibby has uncovered, while working with the Angus Reid Institute, some distinct downsides emerging in the way people in Canada see themselves, each other and their institutions.
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In his latest jam-packed book, The Canadian Transformation: Social Trends 1975 to 2025, the University of Lethbridge sociologist emeritus provides unique long-range data and reflections on what’s changed since he began to focus on the values Canadians hold.
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It’s not easy to remain upbeat when one notices that most Canadians no longer believe this country is operating at its best.
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“Disillusionment with our political and economic system is clearly widespread. In 1975, 65 per cent of Canadians agreed ‘the political and economic system we have is about the best there is.’ Today that figure stands at just 33 per cent.
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At the economic level, an expanding proportion of people say their personal financial situations have been getting worse. In 1975, only 10 per cent felt they were on a downward path. Now the proportion with a pessimistic financial outlook has swelled to 37 per cent.
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Following traditional sociological methods for determining levels of “hopelessness and despair,” Bibby has for five decades been asking Canadians if they believe: “In spite of what people say, the lot of the average person is getting worse, not better.”
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In 1975, less than half shared that grim assessment. Now, unfortunately, almost four of five Canadians concur with it.
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A related attitude — how Canadians feel about having babies — also raises an alarm. In 1975, only 27 per cent agreed “it’s hardly fair to bring children into the world with the way things look for the future.” Now, in this age of climate change, unaffordable housing and insecure jobs, the proportion who share such pessimism is almost half, 47 per cent.
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On the same theme, Bibby has been asking Canadian about their happiness for five decades, while the country’s population has almost doubled to 41.5 million. The results are not encouraging.
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The proportion of Canadians who say they’re not happy has almost tripled, to where it now encompasses three in 10 residents. About 76 per cent of senior Canadians report some happiness, compared to only 65 per cent of those under age 55.
