Does it grow here?: the impact of local food systems on social capital in the Okanagan and Similkameen valleys
department or school: Arts and Social Sciences, Irving K. Barber Faculty of (Okanagan)
data provider: DSpace
degree campus: UBCO
creator: Elton, Chea
issued: 2020-09-29T17:07:54Z
issued: 2020
related degree: Master of Arts - MA
degree grantor: University of British Columbia
description: The purpose of this research was to understand the impact that local food systems have on community level social capital. Local food systems, inclusive of farmers markets and Community Supported Agriculture programs, have become increasingly prevalent and many communities are going forward with polices in support of local food provisioning (Winfree and Watson, 2017). However, the literature suggests the benefit of local food systems for communities is not well understood. In particular, little is known about the effect of these systems on community level social capital. Social capital refers to features of social life such as social networks, norms, and trust that facilitates cooperation between individuals and groups (Putnam, 1995). Building social capital is referenced as a potential benefit of local food systems because doing so enhances connections among participants which facilitates trust and cooperation. Understanding the connection between local food systems and social capital warrant further research because community level social capital influences community quality of life (Peters, 2017). This research was conducted in the Okanagan Bioregion of British Columbia with a case study of communities where local food movements have grown in prominence in recent years. An exploratory mixed methods case study approach (Yin, 2003) was employed to answer the research questions. Using a grounded theory approach to the data analysis (Glasser and Strauss, 1999) allowed for themes about the role of social capital in local food systems to inductively emerge. An extensive review and analysis of literature to ascertain conceptualizations of social capital facilitated creating a framework for observing social capital in the context of local food systems. An online survey among local food system actors clearly revealed that local food system actors attribute a considerable level of social capital to their participation in the local food system. In depth interviews revealed t…
aggregated CHO: https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/76198
note: Does it Grow Here? The Impact of Local Food Systems on Social Capital in the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys. by Chea Elton B.A., University of British Columbia Okanagan, 2018 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in THE COLLEGE OF GRADUATE STUDIES (Interdisciplinary Studies) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Okanagan) September 2020 © Chea Elton, 2020 ii The following individuals certify that they have read, and recommend to the College of Graduate Studies for acceptance, a thesis/dissertation entitled: Does it Grow Here? The Impact of Local Food Systems on Social Capital in the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys submitted by Chea Elton in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Arts . Dr. Donna Senese, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Co- Supervisor Co- Supervisor Dr. Mary Stockdale, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Supervisory Committee Member Dr. John Janmaat, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Supervisory Committee Member Dr. Eric Li, Faculty of Management University Examiner Dr. Kent Mullinix, Institute of Sustainable Food Systems, Kwantlen Polytechnic University iii Abstract The purpose of this research was to understand the impact that local food systems have on community level social capital. Local food systems, inclusive of farmers markets and Community Supported Agriculture programs, have become increasingly prevalent and many communities are going forward with polices in support of local food provisioning (Winfree and Watson, 2017). However, the literature suggests the benefit of local food systems for communities is not well understood. In particular, little is known about the effect of these systems on community level social capital. Social capital refers to features of social life such as social networks, norms, and trust that facilitates cooperation between individuals and groups (Putnam, 1995). Building socia…
has type: Thesis/Dissertation
date issued: 2020-11
is shown at: 10.14288/1.0394562
language: eng
degree discipline: Interdisciplinary Studies
provider: Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
publisher: University of British Columbia
rights: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
rights URI: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
scholar level: Graduate
type: Text
identifier URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/76198