LOCAL ECONOMIC INITIATIVES IN PORTUGAL - REALITY AND RHETORIC

The 1980s witnessed a rapid increase in attention focused on local eco nomic initiatives (LEIs) from academics, politicians and policy-makers . This paper seeks to explain and interpret the processes which have l ed to this increased interest in local-level economic activity through specific examination of the Portuguese experience. Explanation of the increased attention paid to LEIs requires both an examination of the ongoing processes of economic and political restructuring, and an unde rstanding of ideological and political debates over future development paths. Critically, much theorizing about LEIs has failed to distingui sh between the rhetoric and the reality. The paper commences with a re view of current conceptualizations of LEIs from self-reliant and regio nal political economy traditions. From within the political economy tr adition, a basis for conceptualizing LEIs is developed which interrela tes restructuring issues with localities to provide contexts for local actions. Utilizing this framework, current economic and political res tructuring issues are analysed and a typology of localities within Por tugal produced which exemplifies how local variations provide very dif ferent opportunities and constraints for the development of LEIs. Fina lly, the ideological discourse surrounding local development is examin ed and the need to contest current dominant conceptions of local devel opment is argued for.