Proposal Assignment

Student name Christiana Adenrele

Student number 101157850

Topic Choice

Area of Social Welfare Employment

Name of policy or program
Link to Primary source
Who is responsible for the policy or program?
Employment Insurance (EI)
https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-
development/programs/ei.html
This program is managed by the Federal
Government of Canada.

Academic Journal Article #1

Reference for article Nichols, L. (2014). Employment Insurance in

Abstract
Explanation of connection (Max. 50 words)
Canada-The Gendered Implications. Journal of
Finance and Bank Management, 2(1), 49-76.
In current social policy, women’s issues are
generally subsumed under what Nancy Fraser
terms “familialized policies,” as opposed to
policies that address the individual. These policies
conceive of women only insofar as they play a
traditional “female” role within the family, doing
the work of social reproduction (1987, 109),
which Kate Bezanson defines as the diverse,
everyday tasks required to regenerate and
maintain the working population (2006). Given
this, it is little surprise that the welfare state has
maintained a distinction between individual
policies, directed mainly at men, and family-
based policies, which are directed mainly at
women; they do so in order to keep the unpaid
labour of social reproduction unquestioned and
maintain society working smoothly. These forms
of gendered social policy tacitly assume, and
thereby reinforce, women’s limited social power
by linking men to work and consumption and
positioning women as needing “relief programs”
in the home (Fraser 1987, 110, 111). This
illustrates how gender is intrinsic to social
structures (Padamsee 2009, 425).
This article provides a more nuanced view of
employment insurance benefits in Canada, as
well as the trends in their usage as per gender.
 This is an important cross-sectional view of how
these benefits are used and by whom.

Academic Journal Article #2

Reference for article Finnie, R., & Irvine, I. (2011). The Redistributional
Impact of Canada's Employment Insurance
Program, 1992–2002. Canadian Public
Policy, 37(2), 201-218.
Abstract For a decade or so starting in the early 1990s,
Canada's major income support programs
underwent substantial reform. Meanwhile, the
economy first lingered in a deep recession and
then recovered with a period of strong growth.
This paper focuses on how the distributional
impact of Employment Insurance (EI) evolved
during this period. We find that EI was strongly
redistributive throughout the whole period with
respect to the earnings of individuals, and
somewhat less so for family income. But we also
show that the distribution of benefits and
contributions changed substantially over time,
becoming less redistributive. Somewhat counter-
intuitively, both the benefit and contribution
sides of the program are shown to be
redistributive, even though the contribution
structure is regressive. These findings are
relevant in the current context, as the economy
struggles with a combination of high
unemployment and fiscal pressures on
government spending.
Explanation of connection (Max. 50 words) This article examines the redistribution patterns
associated with the EI program, over different
years as well as unique economic pressures. This
article is relevant as it shows the unique
fluctuations associated with this program.

Academic Journal Article #3

Reference for article Friedlander, L. (2003). What Has Tort Law Got to Do with It: Distinguishing
between Employees and Independent Contractors in the Federal Income Tax,
Employment Insurance, and Canada Pension Plan Contexts. Can. Tax J., 51,
1467.
Abstract

Explanation of This article is important to this research as it illustrates the link which exists
connection (Max. 50 between this particular social welfare program, and the taxation system in
words) Canada. As such, it aptly demonstrates the necessary extraneous policy
connections that must exist for the EI program to operate.