Doing Community Economic Development

by John Loxley (Editor), Jim Silver (Editor), Kathleen Sexsmith (Editor)

Challenging traditional notions of development, these essays examine bottom-up, community economic-development strategies in a wide variety of contexts—as a means of improving lives in rural, and inner-city settings, shaped and driven by women and by Aboriginal people, and aimed at employment creation for the most marginalized. Most authors have employed a participatory research methodology, but all of the essays are the product of a broader, three-year community–university research collaboration. This same collaboration focuses on the strengths and difficulties of participatory, capacity-building strategies for those marginalized by the competitive, profit-seeking forces of capitalism. Many exciting initiatives with great potential are described and critically evaluated, along with on-the-ground descriptions of a wide variety of community economic-development projects, from urban aboriginal businesses to the rural and agricultural fields.

254 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

John Loxley is Professor and former head of the Department of Economics at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg. He specializes in international finance, international development and community economic development, in particular alternatives to orthodox economic theory and policy. His distinguished career includes stints at Makerere University and the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, as well as service to the governments of Tanzania, Uganda, Madagascar, Mozambique, and Manitoba as economic advisor.