Masters Thesis

Evaluating the viability of community currency as a tool for sustainable development : a case study of the Humboldt Exchange Community Currency Project

This bound project utilized research developed from an evaluation of the Humboldt Exchange Community Currency Project, a program administered by Democracy Unlimited of Humboldt County. I conducted this evaluation to complete the terms of the practicing placement contract, which I signed with DUHC and the HSU graduate coordinator. In this project I plan to treat my evaluation research as the basis for a case study. I use this case study to demonstrate connections between my evaluation of the Humboldt Exchange Community Currency Project and other Community Currency systems, to try and determine lessons that can be learned about sustainable development both in the local and global contexts. I utilize all the relevant literature on environmental and economic sustainable development, political economy, environmental sociology, as well as examine the theoretical discourse around the intersection between the grassroots development and parallel currency and economic theory. From this research I assess the Humboldt Exchange Community Currency Project, providing detailed suggestions for the future of the project including strategic outreach planning, administrative and structural changes as well as assessing the current condition of the program. My purpose in this study is to try and better understand how alternative systems of exchange can be integrated into development projects and to see first hand what some of the limitations are to this type of development.

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