Culture of Poverty Lives On

Community economic developers in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia

Bibliographic Data

ID2473946
AuthorsConstance P Deroche
Year2003
Volume15
Issue2
Pages225-254
Publication date2003-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCity & Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0893-0465 • E-ISSN: 1548-744X
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1525/city.2003.15.2.225
OpenAlexW2115533837
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited13

Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island has a Jong history of community economic dlevelopment (CED) initiatives for which it is nationally recognized. While CED encompasses a range of forms and philosophies, the term commonly refers to "grassroots" undertakings that celebrate local knowledge and action. Yet, as his paper shows, key local spokespersons argue that die Island's "culture of dpendency," though bom of capitalist exploitation, undermines effective folk envolvement in economic development. Their position is reminiscent of die clasic but problematic "culture of poverty" argument. Thus, ironically, a purport My left-of-Center orientation turns to victim blaming. An interrogation of this curious stance suggests that it serves not as a defensible representation of recent history, but rather as legitimation for leadership, [poverty, ideology, community economic devebpment, Atlantic Canada

Canadian Identity and History · Cooperative Studies and Economics · Social Sciences and Governance

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