Interpersonal contact and attitudes towards indigenous peoples in Canada's prairie cities

Research finds that non-indigenous peoples often hold negative racial attitudes towards indigenous peoples. Contact theory suggests that interpersonal contact can positively influence majority group members’ attitudes regarding minority group members, raising the question of whether indigenous population growth in cities will alter non-indigenous peoples’ attitudes. Using original 2014 survey data, this paper examines the relationship between interpersonal contact and racial attitudes in Canadian prairie cities. The analysis finds that while personal ties to aboriginal peoples are correlated with lower new and old-fashioned racism scores, general contact with aboriginal peoples only correlates with old-fashioned racism scores. As such, growing urban indigenous populations – and thus increased aboriginal-non-aboriginal general contact – alone should not be expected to result in positive racial attitudes. This research advances understanding of contact theory by considering how education interacts with interpersonal contact, and informs on-going dialogue about current racial relations between non-indigenous and indigenous peoples in Canadian prairie cities.     

Devolving authority for health care in Canada's provinces: 4. Emerging issues and prospects

Devolution or authority for health care is evaluated in the context of 3 objectives of provincial governments--community empowerment to garner new allies for health care restructuring, service integration to create a true "system" and conflict containment as spending is cut. Devolved authorities cannot pursue each of these objectives with equal vigour because they must balance the competing pressures from their provincial government, their providers and their local citizens. Each devolved authority accommodates these pressures in its own way, through different trade-offs. Appointed board members are generally well intentioned in representing the interests of their entire community but are unlikely to overcome formidable barriers to community empowerment in health care. Unless future board elections attract large and representative voter turnouts, they may fragment board members'' accountability (by making them more accountable to multiple interest groups) rather than solidify it (by making them more accountable to the community). Although boards have integrated and rationalized parts of the institutional sector, integration of the community sector is hampered by structural constraints such as the lack of budgetary authority for a broader scope of services, including physicians'' fees and drugs. Devolved authorities will deflect blame from provincial governments and contain conflict only while they believe that there is still slack in the system and that efficiency can be improved. When boards no longer perceive this, they are likely to add their voices to local discontent with fiscal retrenchment. Continuing evaluation and periodic meetings of authorities to share experiences and encourage cross-jurisdictional policy learning are needed.     

Devolving authority for health care in Canada's provinces: 1. An introduction to the issues

In 9 of Canada''s 10 provinces, much of the decision-making in health care has recently been devolved to local authorities. Provincial governments want this new governance structure to at least contain costs and improve service integration. However, there has been little evaluation of devolution to determine whether these and other goals are being met. Although devolved structures in the provinces vary somewhat with respect to the number of tiers, accountability mechanisms, degree of authority and method of funding, the only structural element that varies substantially is the scope of services under the authority of local boards. The real authority of the boards depends, however, on their negotiated compromises among 3 areas of tension: the provincial government''s expectations, the providers'' interests and the local citizens'' needs and preferences. The boards'' abilities to negotiate acceptable compromises will largely determine their effectiveness. This article introduces a survey of the members of 62 boards in 5 provinces for which the response rate was 65%, with 514 of 791 board members responding.