Rob Hopkins: Defining Localism and Localisation
Transition Network co-founder Rob Hopkins has posted his Ph.D. thesis, "Localisation and Resilience at the Local Level: The Case of Transition Town Totnes (Devon, UK)."
In one table, he summarizes definitional distinctions between the words localism and localization (as we spell it on this side of the pond). I frequently find myself exploring these types of distinctions as well.
From "‘Localism’ or ‘Localisation’? Defining our terms":
Assumptions shared by Localism and Localisation
• Local people should have more control over local services and decision-making
• Stronger local government and increased accountability is a good thing
• Community ownership and the Right to Buy are important
Assumptions Not Shared by Localism and Localisation
• Localisation is underpinned by an ethic of sustainability: this does not necessarily enter into localism.
• Localisation embodies the Proximity Principle, arguing that where money flows from and to are important, and that what can be produced locally should be consumed locally where possible: localism sees itself within the context of business-as-usual economic globalisation.
• Localism seeks to reduce the role of the state and of ‘big government’, localisation can happen within the context of stronger government, indeed it argues that addressing global issues such as climate change or resource scarcity will require strong government alongside community engagement.
• Localism seeks to transfer state assets (schools, hospitals etc.) into community ownership: localisation focuses more on control rather than ownership of those assets, and seeks to bring key local functions (food production, building development, energy generation) currently in the private sector into community ownership.
• Localisation argues for a different relationship between consumers and producers, localism has no such critique.
• Localisation seeks to increase tightness of feedbacks, so that consequences of resource use are felt closer to home (i.e. local food production): localism operates in the context of economic globalisation, with no concept of feedbacks.
