ALTERNATIVE ECONOMIES

Alternative Economies



Table of Contents

Introduction1

Discussion3

About Time Banks3

Why Time Banks?5

Another Perspective7

How Time Banks Work6

The Hour 4 Hour Time Exchange6

Conclusion10

References12

Alternative Economies

'Alternative organisations are bound to fail: they are either too small and too insignificant to withstand the force of global capitalism, or they will develop capitalist tendencies and reproduce capitalist hegemony'.

Introduction

In these recessionary times, increasing number of people are relinquishing and showing heightened displeasure of the manner in which their economy is functioning. Many of these individuals share that opinion that they have attained quality education, invested time and money in acquiring skills that will help them gain good employment opportunities, in short make their sustenance easier. Despite this, they are now shattered to find themselves in the position where their education and skills are of no use due to the poor state of the economy. Yet they are obliged by the government to continue to pay their taxes more than they already were in these decaying times. Thus, just to make ends meet people are struggling with several jobs in order to make their ends meet at the cost of sacrificing health and family time. Moreover, there are no positive signs that the economy will improve any time soon, while at the present, unknown forces that have changed the rule of the game are controlling the economy for their own means. These are one of the many reasons that the idea of having an alternate economy is becoming more in vogue (www.verdant.net).

The Mexico Solidarity Network (2003) describes the concept of alternative economy in a capitalist setting as exemplifying ideology of free trade, but it encompasses more qualities other than that. These qualities are termed as the setting up of a completely new set of trading market. Thus, whatever trading happens in such markets is not only exclusive to goods and services, and gaining a fair price for these dealings but it also has a human element attached to it in form of the relationships that are cultivated through these dealings. Such forms of relationships are non-existent in a capitalist market where the prime focus is to gain profit and not the fair distribution of that profit. Hence, if the model of an alternate economy is adopted then that will result the common welfare for all and an increased and direct communication between all the stakeholders.

Grzinic (2004) analyses the alternative economics by observing that the underlying principle behind these models was the intended transformation of the social and cultural aspects of trading in a society, which not only change the nature of trade practices but also results in the transformation of the society itself. Thus, in today's capitalist world such alternate model provides reprieve to those who seek to gain fair gains out of fair transactions. Conversely, Healy (2008) explains alternative economies to be simply the opposite of a capitalist economy in operational terms. It constitutes wide means of courses for the labor, production, consumption, trade and rights that are different from the usual functions in the ...