Proquest Dissertations

Gender and Policy Development in Mid-sized Canadian Cities: A case study of local economic development in Waterloo Region by Rebecca Nabert-Chubb, BA, MP A A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy The School of Public Policy and Administration Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario, Canada December 2009 © 2009 Rebecca Nabert-Chubb Library and Archives Bibliotheque et 1*1 Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de ('edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 OttawaONK1A0N4 Canada Canada Your die Votre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-63860-6 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-63860-6 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library and permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par Nntemet, preter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans le loan, distribute and sell theses monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, sur worldwide, for commercial or non support microforme, papier, electronique et/ou commercial purposes, in microform, autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriete du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in this et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. Ni thesis. Neither the thesis nor la these ni des extraits substantiels de celle-ci substantial extracts from it may be ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement printed or otherwise reproduced reproduits sans son autorisation. without the author's permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformement a la loi canadienne sur la Privacy Act some supporting forms protection de la vie privee, quelques may have been removed from this formulaires secondaires ont ete enleves de thesis. cette these. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires aient inclus dans in the document page count, their la pagination, il n'y aura aucun contenu removal does not represent any loss manquant. of content from the thesis. 1*1 Canada Abstract Gender mainstreaming at the local scale in Canada has been concentrated in the largest urban centres, where it has sometimes evolved into an equity lens that subsumes gender under a broader concern for diversity. This thesis examines the consideration of women-based concerns and gender issues in a mid-sized urban region, where gender mainstreaming was previously unheard of. The purpose is to ask why more cities are not conducting gender mainstreaming, particularly in economic development which has a significant impact on women's opportunities for empowerment, and to analyze the factors that lead to gender mainstreaming policy adoptions and sound implementation. A comparative case study of three culturally distinct municipalities in Waterloo Region, Ontario is used to examine the treatment of women and gender concerns in a two-tiered government system as it shifts from a traditional manufacturing economy to a knowledge and service-based economy. The findings are that a new dominant entrepreneurial cities policy frame, led by private sector elites is being institutionalized through multi-scalar, public-private partnerships, replacing the municipal-based traditional economic development policy frame. Contrary to the neoliberal underpinnings of the entrepreneurial cities policy frame and public-private partnerships associated with them, the new policy frame opens a discursive space in local economic development to consider socio-economic issues by emphasizing the importance of complete and attractive communities under a discourse of livability and economic inclusion. By strategically framing the labour market inclusion of immigrants to resonate with the new policy frame, diversity advocates achieved what gender advocates could not: creating community-based partnerships with the mainstream ii economic development policy community, increasing women's participation in the policy making process, and putting women - albeit "immigrant women" - onto the mainstream agenda. The thesis concludes that the entrepreneurial cities policy frame is more women- friendly than the traditional economic development policy frame, although it is by no means a replacement for a sustainability policy frame. Finally, diversity strategies can empower ethno-culturally diverse women. Acknowledgements I cannot say nor do enough to thank the many people who supported me throughout this endeavor. My parents, husband, and children most of all have given me their time, patience, and loving support over the years. Their sacrifice for my benefit will always be deeply appreciated. My parent-in-laws also deserve much gratitude for their continual support and free dinners. I am also greatly indebted to my supervising committee for their guidance, encouragement and confidence in me. Their theoretical teachings and belief in the importance of examining the questions herein allowed me to persevere when rational judgment seemed to suggest otherwise. The staff and faculty of the School of Public Policy and Administration can also not be forgotten for their time and efforts in providing assistance through the degree requirements. Finally, I am thankful to all of the participants who volunteered their valuable time to this research process and who provided thoughtful and provoking information, which generated new research questions. Although I tried in all earnest to provide truthful accounts of all information that was provided during the research process, I of course, am solely responsible for any faults in interpretation and conclusions that lay herein. IV Table of Contents Title Page i Abstract ii Acknowledgements iv Table of Contents v List of Tables vii List of Diagrams vii List of Graphs vii List of Appendices viii List of Abbreviations ix Introduction 1 Chapter 1: Gender, Diversity and Local Economic Development in Globalized Cities 16 1. Introduction 16 2. Equality and Empowerment in GM 18 3. Policy Communities, Discourses and Frames 29 4. The Selection of Waterloo Regional Municipality as the Comparative Case Study 44 Chapter 2: The Discursive Spaces for Women and Gender in Dominant and Alternative Local Economic Development Policy Frames 47 1. Introduction 47 2. New City-Regionalism and Entrepreneurial City Strategies. 48 3. The Sustainability Policy Frame: A Political Economy Approach 56 4. Conclusion 73 Chapter 3: Comparative Case Studies in Empowerment and Policy Studies 75 1. Introduction 75 2. Feminist Studies and Praxis at the Local Scale for Women's Empowerment 77 3. Gender Lenses and Gender Equality Frames 83 4. Cultural Political Economy and Policy Frame Analysis 87 5. Studies of Comparative Cases in the Social and Policy Sciences 98 6. The Case Study Area: Waterloo Regional Municipality 103 7. Summary 134 Chapter 4: The Waterloo Regional Policy Community 136 1. Introduction 136 2. Characteristics of Waterloo Region 138 3. Waterloo Region's Economic Development Policy Community 141 v 4. The Consideration of Women-based Concerns and Gender Relations Among Regional Organizations 165 5. Conclusions 199 Chapter 5: The Cities of Waterloo and Kitchener 204 1. Introduction 204 2. The City of Waterloo 219 3. The City of Kitchener 166 4. Women, Gender and Diversity in Kitchener's Citizen Engagement and Official Plans 240 5. Conclusions 251 Chapter 6: The City of Cambridge 256 1. Introduction 256 2. The City of Cambridge: "The Middle Child" 257 3. Conclusion 280 Chapter 7: Women and Gender in Waterloo Region's Economic Development Policy Community, Policy Frames and Institutions Conclusions 284 1. Considering Women and Gender in Local Economic Development 284 2. Summary of the Findings 287 3. Discussion of the Findings 300 3.1. Expanding Economic Development Issues and Women's Participation in Public-Private Partnerships and their Limitations 301 3.2. Women-based Concerns and Gender Issues within Diversity Initiatives 308 4. Conclusions 313 List of References 317 VI List of Tables Table 3.1: Summary of the Data Sample 112 Table 3.2: List of Interview Data Analyses Tables 119 Table 3.3: Example of Interview Data Analyses 122 Table 3.4: Interviewees' Gender Lenses 125 Table 3.5: The Differences between Interviewees' Gender Lenses 128 Table 3.6: The Interview Sample's Gender Equality Frames 132 Table 4.1: Key Policy Actors in the Waterloo Region's Economic Development Policy Community 151 Table 4.2: Collaborative Projects in Waterloo Region, 2004 - 2006 154 Table 4.3: Gender Composition in the Core Economic Development Organizations, 2004 161 Table 6.1: Gender Equality Frames by Interviewees' Gender 277 Table 7.1: Summary of Findings, Case Study Implications and Policy Implications....291 List of Diagrams Diagram 3.1: Gender Lenses and Corresponding Gender Equality Frames 85 Diagram 4.1: The Waterloo Region Economic Development Policy Community 144 List of Graphs Graph 3.1 Dominant Policy Discourses and Frames by Interviewees' Frequency Of Keywords 97 Graph 4.1: Frequency of Policy Frames by Regional Organizations and Cities, 2004-2006 169 Graph 4.2: Gender Equality Frames by Regional Organizations and Cities, 2004-2006 .195 Graph 4.3: Economic Development Policy Frames and Gender Equality Frames by Regional Organizations

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