This paper studies the difference of life satisfaction profiles between Canadian immigrants and native-born Canadians. In particular, the thesis asks how years of residence in Canada affect the immigrant life satisfaction profile. Using microdata from the 2007 Canadian Health Community Survey, ordered probit and OLS models are employed to estimate the “life satisfaction equation”. The results show that immigrants reach their turning point in the U-shaped life satisfaction profile at age 50 for men and age 42 for women. This is 5 years later than native-born men, and 2 year earlier than native-born women. Further, the life satisfaction levels for immigrants are significantly lower than their native-born counterparts. The value of the low points from the U-shaped profile is 0.39 (on a 5-point scale) lower for immigrant men and 0.42 lower for immigrant women. Also, long-established immigrants (?10 years), have a slightly higher life satisfaction than recent immigrants (<10 years). / N/A

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In Canada, no group has a more complex, negative history of involvement with the justice system than Aboriginals. The study investigated differences between the control and satisfaction perceived by Aboriginals and non-Aboriginals through the use of original questionnaires administered both during and after participant contact with the Canadian justice system. As predicted, there was a positive correlation between primary and secondary control ratings. However, Aboriginals and non-Aboriginals failed to differ in level of control and satisfaction. Participants reported higher levels of perceived secondary control than primary control for the treatment they received by staff but not the usefulness of legal services. Women reported higher levels of total perceived control than men, but only for Aboriginal women. Women reported significantly higher levels of expected than obtained outcome satisfaction. Findings suggest that people‟s experiences and misgivings about the Canadian justice system are not significantly different, regardless of ethnicity. Although people are not particularly happy with the current system, no group feels clearly more helpless than any other with regards to addressing their legal needs.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the possible relationship between social mix and the quality of life in housing. Quality of life is measured by levels of satisfaction, social integration, mobility and freedom of choice, etc. This study has identified some factors which may have an effect on the quality of life in socially mixed housing projects. This study has formulated general observations from these factors which could influence the way the built environment is shaped, especially ways in which residents, can or cannot, appreciate and tolerate social mix. The evidence indicates that design, quality of construction, good management, and the overall environment are much more important for the acceptance and satisfaction of the residents than the question of social mix. Even so, the findings indicate that some of the positive and negative quality of life aspects derive from social mix.

The thesis investigates methods of evaluating indexes that measure concepts of human values. My understanding of indexes, especially on how they relate to the real world and concepts (that are the objectives of the measurement), is influenced by my study of literature on models used in economic and in physics. We learn from this study of models the following: (1) regularities described in theories do not represent real world phenomena, which consist of many different forces acting simultaneously; (2) but such regularities are true in models, because they describe specific conditions under which regularities in nature are displayed; (3) there are more than one model that can represent the same phenomenon depending on which particular aspect of the phenomenon to focus on; and (4) the success of a model has to be evaluated partly by criteria that are independent from theoretical ones. Since the role indexes play in relation to real world and concepts are similar to the role models play in relation to theories, I have applied the above knowledge to propose the following three criteria to evaluate successful indexes: (1) Purpose-dependent criteria: criteria that are based on particular motivations of the measurement project; (2) Theory-dependent criteria: criteria that are reflected in the theories that expressly or implicitly guide the development of the project of measurement; and (3) Conditions-dependent criteria: criteria that are based on the conditions under which the index measures what it is designed to measure. I apply these three criteria of successful indexes to examine two projects of measuring human values, one called the Human Development Index developed by the United Nations Development Programme and the other called the Life Satisfaction Indicator developed by an officer at the Economic Planning Agency in Japan. Among the findings from the examination of those two indexes are that they can be the products of a mixture of concerns that include convenience, conventions, practicality, politics and consistency with relevant theories, and some of these concerns may conflict with each other. Another important finding is that because there are many assumptions made and simplifications applied in order to choose a quantitative representation of a human value, the application of the measure is limited. I conclude that both in using and in evaluating indexes of human values, it is important that we are aware of such limitations, so that we can more effectively know both how to avoid misusing the indexes and how to improve them over time.