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French

ID: <

10.7202/055394ar

>

·

DOI: <

10.7202/055394ar

>

Where these data come from
The Chambers of Commerce

Abstract

The following study results from a research undertaken in 1965 on chambers of commerce. It follows on from the author’s interest in Jean-Charles Falardeau’s communication on the origin and rise of businessmen in Canadian/French society at the VC of the International Association of French-speaking Sociologists held in Lake Beauport in 1964. Analysing the access of businessmen to leadership status, Jean-Charles Falardeau stressed the importance of chambers of commerce as laboratories for their attitudes and ideologies and as professional organisational managers. Although the author shares the opinion expressed by Jean-Charles Falardeau as to the relevance of a history of this movement in Quebec, this presentation has nothing to do with a historical test. His point is quite different; it is well known that chambers have traditionally set themselves the objective of ‘fostering and improving trade and the economic, civic and social well-being’ of their district. At a time when the government is seeking to set up regional economic councils and where experiments such as that of B.A.E. Q. are continuing, it is certainly worthwhile to study the reactions of chambers of commerce. These are generally recognised as organisations representing business people. Moreover, it is true that in several regions they have chaired the formation of economic councils. However, the question arises whether Jean-Charles Falardeau’s hypothesis is valid for all chambers of commerce; for our part, we would be inclined to assume that certain chambers, embracing the socio-economic tensions in the environment, are akin to development cooperatives rather than to pressioning groups, and Jean-Charles Falardeau does not rule out this possibility. He acknowledged, following Fernand Ouellet, that the House of Québec, as a result of greater participation by Quebec French-speakers, wanted to focus on purely local and regional interests. In order to counteract the difficulties posed by economic developments in the environment, it undertook to increase its workforce by extending its admission criteria. As a body for the defence and economic promotion, it was thus transformed into a Community promotion body. Our research has led us to raise the issue of coherence in diversity within an organisation of around 270 chambers of commerce constituting 32 regions. However, in the context of this presentation, I shall rather draw attention to a certain correspondence between the diversity of the work of the chambers and the rural-urban development axis. To this end, we shall proceed in three stages. In the first, applying a model of differentiating factors to Québec, we will try to make some assumptions as to the interrelationship between the level of development of various environments and the type of action characteristic of the chambers in those circles. The development of a dual typology and the opinions gathered from activists will make it possible to monitor the validity of these mortgages.In a second step, limiting us to a few variables, we will show how the chambers of highly urbanised environments and those of other environments differ. Finally, a third stage will make it possible to make some assumptions about the problems posed by the participation of bodies belonging to the same Federation but operating in environments with very uneven levels of urbanisation.

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