Author Archives: Naomi Lightman

About Naomi Lightman

Naomi Lightman is Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Calgary. She holds a Ph.D from University of Toronto, and an M.A. and B.A. from McGill University. Her areas of research expertise include migration, gender, inequality, and research methodology. She is the co-author of the second edition of the textbook Social Policy in Canada. Additional information on her publications can be found on her website here and you can follow her @naomilightman.

A Balancing Act: Re-Opening Provincial Economies while Prioritizing Health Risks to Vulnerable Groups

By: Lorian Hardcastle and Naomi Lightman

PDF Version: A Balancing Act: Re-Opening Provincial Economies while Prioritizing Health Risks to Vulnerable Groups

Matter commented on: COVID-19 in Alberta and Canada

Despite calls that we are “in it together”, many of Canada’s most vulnerable communities are bearing the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes individuals living and working in long-term care facilities, factory workers, homeless and incarcerated populations, and some on-reserve Indigenous communities. In implementing public health measures, policymakers largely failed to prioritize these groups. Rather, many of the strategies for social distancing presumed individual family homes, nuclear family arrangements, access to private cars, workplaces that could transition to online formats, and living conditions where outdoor space was available. As a result, many groups outside this presumed norm were either left behind or inadequately protected during the spread of the virus. In this post, we argue that as provincial governments begin the process of re-opening their economies, policymakers must balance the interests of the broader public with those who live and work in conditions that put them at risk.  Continue reading →