The purpose of this thesis is to look at a non-conventional approach to increasing
well-being at the community level. This new approach to development is called
community-based economic development (CBED). Interest in CBED has been
stimulated both by crises at the local level and by global problems. In Canada the
impetus for CBED is attributable to three factors: the dependency of small
communities on external factors and the alienation it promotes; a globalizing
international economy; and the failure of past Canadian regional development
planning policies.
Community-based economic development is a new approach that seeks to increase
community self-reliance. Many different CBED initiatives are currently operating in
various regions, communities, and neighbourhoods across Canada. These CBED
initiatives have centred on stimulating local employment and income levels almost
exclusively within the formal "monetized" economy. This thesis examines a CBED
initiative that operates within the "non-monetized" informal sector called the Local
Exchange Trading System (LETS). LETS is a barter network that uses a local
currency, "green dollars", to facilitate trading between members.
To ascertain if the LETSystem can improve well-being at the local level, this thesis
has examined three Canadian LETSYstems: Victoria, Cowichan Valley, and Ottawa.
Three central goals of CBED were distilled: increased local control; implementation
of an integrated approach to development; and sustainable development. The three
LETSystems were then evaluated using the above goals.
There are two main findings of this thesis. The first finding is that CBED can be,
and presently is being, promoted in the informal sector. The second finding is that
the LETSystems three examined, pursued goals similar to those of other CBED
initiatives and sought to improve community well-being. The continued promotion of
CBED by LETS is subject to two constraints: the novelty of the idea; and the lack
of variety of goods and services traded. Nevertheless, there exists additional
opportunities for the increased promotion of CBED through LETS, increased
community development, and an expanded range of employment opportunities. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UBC/oai:circle.library.ubc.ca:2429/42008 |
| Date | January 1988 |
| Creators | Rogers, Lesley A. |
| Publisher | University of British Columbia |
| Source Sets | University of British Columbia |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis/Dissertation |
| Rights | For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use. |
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