How might a sociologist explain the cause of the disappearing of middle class in canada?

Question

How might a sociologist explain the cause of the disappearing of middle class in canada?

Answer 1

Maybe an Anthropologist would have better luck. j/k

That question is too complicated to sum up here.

Answer 2

Canada, "sigh" a sociologist would have to be from any other country to explain anything pertaining to an in depth study.  One may explain it by stating that the Canadians are unaware of their class and therefore, fall into only two that remain.

Touche

Answer 3

Great question!

Regardless of the country (in my view), sociologists are interested in behavior and the influences that impact behavior.  As such, they tend to identify and review root causes from the lens of the major institutions that tend to be the core components of all societies.  For example:

(1) Family: the center of the sphere of influence for most people.  Beliefs, customs, and values -typically- are created and influence in this institution and then are carried out to the other four major institutions in a ripple-effect.

(2) Education: regardless of the quality of education, if children are attending school they are influenced by the policie, rules, and role-modeling that occurs there.  Because a good portion of most days (5 out of 7 generally) is spent within the confines of school, it is a formidable influencer (for better or worse) on the individual, community, and culture.

(3) Economy: of the five major institutions, this would -in my view- be the centerpiece of the explanation for the disappearing of the middle class in Canada.  In itself, it is meaningless ... that is, the economy is central to all other institutions, however, without the integration and influence of those other institutions, the economy would not exist.  

As such, even though "class" is typically defined in socio-economic terms and is central to the portrayal of most countries' economies, it is not used to explain matters from the rise in the cost of bread to the movement of people to warmer climates.  It is simply a mitigating factor in the economy.

I do want to emphasize though, in my view, the economy -even if typically used as the focal point to explain shifts like a disappearing middle class-  is not -as a stand alone- the cause, but simply the vehicle that carrys the other four institutions to explain the cause (I hope that makes sense).

(4) Government: this is the institution -in theory- that is suppose to pull it all togehter and provide safety, security, and some level of sanity to keep the population -and economy- chugging alone (and not rioting or revolting).  As much as some people would like to believe that the government does not intervene in the institutions of family or religion, because it is the central policy- and law-making instution of society it certainly influences both.

(5) Religion: history is replete with the ebb and flow of religions and the major influence religion enacts on most peoples' lives.  As such, it cannot be dismissed in any explanation regarding human behavior and certainly is worthy of an in-depth assessment when attempting to understand the cause of the decline (or rise, for that matter) of a social class.

So, although I did not explain the cause in a one-size-fits-all statement, I hope my explanation offers a perspective that, depending on the reason for your question, guides you in your thinking to the multiple influencers and levels that sociologists examine before they try to offer an explanation for a phenomenon.