The Equality, Security, and Community (ESC) project, conducted during a six-year period, was conceived as a multidisciplinary collaborative research project. Its objectives were concisely described in its subtitle: “Explaining and Improving the Distribution of Well-Being in Canada.” Explaining th distribution of well-being requires a concerted multidisciplinary effort that considers the interplay among market behaviour, political and community participation, and policy formation. Improving the distribution requires effective and durable policies, which, in turn, must be based on sound theoretical and empirical foundations. Using a wide range of research methodologies, the ESC project sheds light on these complex issues, while it advances our ability to steer public policies toward improved outcomes.
     Numerous journal articles and book chapters have resulted from the ESC project. Another major product is a unique national longitudinal survey of Canadians that covers the economic, political, cultural, and attitudinal bases of inequality. This database was analyzed by project co-investigators and has been posted for research by others (on the website of York University’s Institute for Social Research).
     The three volumes in the series are:

Racing to the Bottom?
Provincial Interdependence in the Canadian Federation
Edited by Kathryn Harrison

Dimensions of Inequality in Canada
Edited by David A. Green and Jonathan R. Kesselman

Social Capital, Diversity, and the Welfare State
Edited by Fiona Kay and Richard Johnston