Research on the Social and Ecological Impacts of The Thingery Community Sharing Platform

The Thingery Sharing Inc. is the logistics provider and parent organization of five co-operatively owned community-level goods lending libraries known as Thingeries located throughout the Lower Mainland of BC. As a data-intensive enterprise, Thingery Sharing Inc. has the potential to track the social and ecological impacts of community level goods sharing. However, the existing literature provides insufficient guidance on how to structure indicators of social impact in the newly emerging sharing economy. This project will use social impact research to identify and understand the impact that a Thingery has on the social connectivity and ecological footprint of its members. It will analyze these findings to develop a set of metrics that can be incorporated into Thingery Sharing Inc.s information systems for ongoing analysis and planning.

Faculty Supervisor:

Katherine Reilly

Student:

Selena Neumark Hermann

Partner:

Thingery

Discipline:

Journalism / Media studies and communication

Sector:

Digital media

University:

Program: