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Local Exchange and Trading Systems: A New Source of Work and Credit for the Poor and Unemployed?

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  • C C Williams

    (Centre for Urban Development and Environmental Management, Leeds Metropolitan University, Brunswick Building, Leeds LS2 8BU, England)

Abstract

In this paper the aim is to evaluate critically the potential of local exchange and trading systems (LETS) as a new source of work and credit for the poor and unemployed. LETS are local associations whose members list their offers of and requests for goods and services in a directory and then exchange them priced in a local unit of currency. From the results of a national survey of LETS, it is found that LETS are growing rapidly and that a high proportion of the national membership are poor and unemployed. With use of a membership survey of Manchester LETS, it is then revealed that, although the poor and unemployed are capitalising on LETS to gain access to work and credit, it is utilised mainly by what can be called the ‘disenfranchised middle class’. In this paper it is advocated that, for a wider cross-section of the poor and unemployed to become involved, changes are needed not only in the internal operating environment of LETS but also in the approach of the government towards benefit claimants working on such systems.

Suggested Citation

  • C C Williams, 1996. "Local Exchange and Trading Systems: A New Source of Work and Credit for the Poor and Unemployed?," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 28(8), pages 1395-1415, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:28:y:1996:i:8:p:1395-1415
    DOI: 10.1068/a281395
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. R Lee, 1996. "Moral Money? LETS and the Social Construction of Local Economic Geographies in Southeast England," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 28(8), pages 1377-1394, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Larue, Louis & Meyer, Camille & Hudon, Marek & Sandberg, Joakim, 2022. "The Ethics of Alternative Currencies," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 32(2), pages 299-321, April.
    2. Rachel C. Granger & Jonathan Wringe & Peter Andrews, 2010. "LETS as Alternative, Post-capitalist Economic Spaces? Learning Lessons from the Totnes ‘Acorn’," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 25(7), pages 573-585, September.
    3. Maëlle Della Peruta & Dominique Torre, 2013. "Virtual social currencies for unemployed people: social networks and job market access," Working Papers halshs-00856480, HAL.
    4. Ethel Crowley, 2005. "Local Exchange Trading Systems: Globalising Rural Communities," The Institute for International Integration Studies Discussion Paper Series iiisdp037, IIIS.
    5. M. W. Danson, 1999. "Debates and Reviews," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(1), pages 63-72.
    6. Colin C. Williams, 2004. "‘Cash-In-Hand Work: Unravelling Informal Employment from the Moral Economy of Favours’," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 9(1), pages 34-45, February.
    7. Colin C Williams, 2001. "Tackling the Participation of the Unemployed in Paid Informal Work: A Critical Evaluation of the Deterrence Approach," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 19(5), pages 729-749, October.
    8. Powell, J., 2002. "Petty capitalism, perfecting capitalism or post-capitalism? : lessons from the Argentinian barter network," ISS Working Papers - General Series 19101, International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam (ISS), The Hague.
    9. Colin C. Williams & Jan Windebank, 2000. "Self-help and Mutual Aid in Deprived Urban Neighbourhoods: Some Lessons from Southampton," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 37(1), pages 127-147, January.
    10. A Leyshon & N Thrift, 1996. "Financial Exclusion and the Shifting Boundaries of the Financial System," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 28(7), pages 1150-1156, July.
    11. Maëlle Della Peruta & Dominique Torre, 2015. "Complementary Currency Systems: Employability and Welfare," GREDEG Working Papers 2015-48, Groupe de REcherche en Droit, Economie, Gestion (GREDEG CNRS), Université Côte d'Azur, France.
    12. Louis Larue, 2022. "The case against alternative currencies," Politics, Philosophy & Economics, , vol. 21(1), pages 75-93, February.
    13. Mark S. Peacock, 2006. "The Moral Economy of Parallel Currencies," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 65(5), pages 1059-1083, November.
    14. Gill Seyfang, 2001. "Working for the Fenland Dollar: An Evaluation of Local Exchange Trading Schemes as an Informal Employment Strategy to Tackle Social Exclusion," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 15(3), pages 581-593, September.
    15. Michael S Evans, 2009. "Zelizer's Theory of Money and the Case of Local Currencies," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 41(5), pages 1026-1041, May.
    16. Peter North, 2000. "Is There Space for Organisation from Below within the UK Government's Action Zones? A Test of 'Collaborative Planning'," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 37(8), pages 1261-1278, July.
    17. Michael Pacione, 1997. "Local Exchange Trading Systems as a Response to the Globalisation of Capitalism," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 34(8), pages 1179-1199, July.

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