Exchanging Time, Exchanging Skills: The Search for an Equitable Community through Timebanking
Date
2018
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Producer
Director
Performer
Choreographer
Costume Designer
Music
Videographer
Lighting Designer
Set Designer
Crew Member
Funder
Rehearsal Director
Concert Coordinator
Advisor
Moderator
Panelist
Alternative Title
Department
Swarthmore College. Dept. of Sociology & Anthropology
Type
Original Format
Running Time
File Format
Place of Publication
Date Span
Copyright Date
Award
Language
en
Note
Table of Contents
Terms of Use
Full copyright to this work is retained by the student author. It may only be used for non-commercial, research, and educational purposes. All other uses are restricted.
Rights Holder
Access Restrictions
No restrictions
Terms of Use
Tripod URL
Identifier
Abstract
This thesis explores the concept and implementation of time banking - a system that aims to
build community and reciprocity through the exchange of time-based currency. I learned about
timebanking through my summer 2016 internship with Timebanks USA, the non-profit
organization that provides support for time banks nationally and founded by Edgar Cahn (' 56).
As intern I noticed the strengths and limitations of time banking and took note of the
demographics that Timebanks USA aimed to reach and the demographics of the people that it
was reaching. To guide my research, I asked the following questions: is there a set of conditions
that enable a timebank to succeed or to be more successful? What are these conditions? Are these
conditions determined by structural socio-economic and cultural factors and/or by operational
factors at the time bank level? What are the ways in which timebanks could overcome these
factors to develop a timebanking community that is truly inclusive? Is it possible for
timebanks/timebanking to escape these structural inequalities? To answer these questions, I
worked with three time banks as my primary case studies conducting interviews and participant
observation. I also interviewed the coordinator of an additional timebank for further reference.
From these case studies, I aim to answer my questions through analyzing the cultural,
community, and operational factors that affect time banking and timebanks.