This thesis argues that economic development, in both theory and practice, is inevitably based on moral questions. These questions have been explored in recent years by "development ethicists," a multidisciplinary group of scholars and practitioners committed to evaluating the policy implications of economic development. Chapter 1 engages this body of literature, arguing that the capability ethic articulated by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum can provide a valuable ethical framework for evaluating economic development in the Canadian north. Their approach is considered in conjunction with other ethical proposals, and, in particular, how theological insights provide an additional dimension for a more comprehensive development ethic. / Chapter 2 investigates the ethical assumptions in the theories and models of economic development proposed for the Canadian north, and how public policy based on these theories and models has infringed on the claims and aspirations of Aboriginal peoples. The chapter then shifts from the larger Canadian context to Manitoba, and explores the story of how two hydro development projects impacted several Aboriginal communities. / This story provides the context for understanding why four church denominations became involved in defending the rights and aims of five Aboriginal communities in northern Manitoba. Chapter 3 examines the moral vision of the four Christian churches and their rationale for sponsoring four days of public hearings on the Churchill-Nelson Rivers hydro diversion project. The public hearings provide an opportunity to analyse how development affects the lives of a people group when it is thrust upon them without consideration of their economic, cultural, and social value systems. / The final chapter examines the issue of the loss of cultural identity for Aboriginal communities as economic development occurs. A major issue pertaining to the loss of cultural identity is whether a development ethic should be based on a universal ethic, or on local traditions, for example, the traditions of the five Aboriginal communities in northern Manitoba. The efforts of the Interchurch Task Force are investigated as a particular type of response to these issues.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.36013 |
| Date | January 1999 |
| Creators | Friesen, Wilbert J. |
| Contributors | Baum, Gregory (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Doctor of Philosophy (Faculty of Religious Studies.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001686599, proquestno: NQ55332, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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