Research Themes
Four main research themes guide the
work of the northern network. Each theme involves coordination by a
co-investigator and a community partner.
Theme 1: A Profile of the Social Economy in Northern Canada
An important initial task of the Northern node is to establish
the social economy as a research priority and to solidify linkages
between social economy organizations, the territorial colleges, and
university-based researchers. This will be partially achieved through
the establishment of a categorization and inventory of existing social
economy organizations. Using questionnaire surveys and
interviews, the problems and issues facing these organizations will be
investigated in an attempt to delineate both the issues obstructing
social economy development in the North and the best available assets
to enhance this development. Social economic contributions and
successes can also be identified and highlighted.
Included in this theme will be a project that seeks to analyze existing
quantitative data sources related to the social economy. The Aboriginal
Peoples Survey and the Survey of Living Conditions in the Arctic are
two data sources that have potential to yield information about the
state of the social economy among Northern Aboriginals and the
relationships between social economic participation and other
socio-demographic variables. Questions in both surveys provide
information relating to health and well-being, economic activity,
participation in traditional activities, feelings of empowerment,
social relationships relating to sharing and gifting.
Theme 2: Resource regimes and social economy in the North
Projects associated with this theme will look at the past, present and
potential impact of varying resource extraction regimes on the
development of the social economy and the evolution of government
programs. It will examine differing resource regimes based on the
type of resource, the conditions of the resource development, and
co-management conditions. Using a variety of indicators, research will
attempt to determine which conditions best promote social economic
development. This will enable researchers to work with
communities to help define their community development preferences. For
several projects differing co-management regimes will be examined and
comparisons made. Evaluation of co-management systems will provide
insight into their potential to improve social economic activities and
community resilience. The impacts of varying arrangements on social
economic development in the north including devolution, land claim
settlements and implementation agreements will be examined to evaluate
effectiveness and relationships in the social economy. Another project
under this theme will evaluate the experiences and contributions of
small-scale community resource-based enterprises. This will help to
define potential contribution of such "alternative" development to the
social economy of Northern communities.
Theme 3: The State and the social economy in the North
A series of research projects will look at the past, present and
potential impact of the state and public policy on the social economic
development in the North. One project will build upon past
research that examined the state promotion of co-operatives in the
North that have become dominant business structures in many Northern
communities. Another research project will examine current
educational practices and curricula with a view to assessing their
impact on the social economy.
Theme 4: Indigenous communities and the social economy
A key objective for this theme is to enhance our understanding of the
relationship between sharing, a subsistence economy, traditional
indigenous cultures and values, and social cohesion in Northern
communities. One project will examine the transformation that this
traditional model of social economy has undergone as it was exposed to
new influences. Continued research that looks at the evolution and
effective performance of the traditional sharing social economy of
Northern indigenous communities is needed.
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Last update: Monday, September 22, 2008 at 1:23:46 PM
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