Questioning cultural narratives of economic development—an investigation of Kitchener-Waterloo

Benjamin Spigel, Harald Bathelt

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

This paper investigates the relationship between culture and economy and scrutinizes cultural narratives of economic development in Kitchener-Waterloo, Southern Ontario. It argues for the need to carefully conceptualize the link between culture and economic development to avoid boosting deterministic stereotypes. In the case of Kitchener-Waterloo, a notable hub of high-technology firms and technology development, a link is frequently drawn between the German community and culture and the region’s economic growth. A social capital analysis however reveals that the German ethnic community neither has the strong professional internal ties nor the external social ties to other regional communities that could constitute a lead role in economic development. Rather, the legacy of Kitchener-Waterloo’s ethnic German population has been absorbed into the region’s self-image and creates a feeling of belonging and common reference points for social and economic initiatives in the region.
Original languageEnglish
Number of pages17
JournalThe Canadian Geographer
Early online date15 Jan 2019
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 15 Jan 2019

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • cultural narrative
  • economic development
  • German ethnic community
  • Kitchener-Waterloo
  • social capital

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