Efficiency, feminism and cooperative democracy: Origins of the Toronto Social Planning Council, 1918-1957

This study examines the conflicts between the social planning and fund-raising elements of the organizations that preceded the founding of the Social Planning Council of Metropolitan Toronto. It utilizes an analysis of the relationship between social planning and the primary values of utilitarian efficiency and cooperative democracy. Coordination of services and allocations planning express efficiency values, and were congruent with the goals of the men who controlled the funds. Cooperative democracy is consistent with community development and radical social change, and was the value orientation of the women who provided leadership in social planning.;The study reveals escalating conflict over appropriate approaches to social planning and suppression of the reform activities of the Toronto Welfare Council by corporate interests in the Community Chest. It also reveals importance of women's influence in social planning before World War II, and their eventual disappearance from positions of influence in the 1950s. The study ends with the assumption of control of the newly independent council by a corporate elite, repeating a cycle of business and male dominance and suppression of social reform.;The study concludes that community development and social reform are incompatible with the goals of the United Community Fund, now the United Way, and suggests the re-involvement of women in community work and renewed emphasis on cooperative democracy and community building processes.;Historically, the study begins with establishment in 1918 of the efficiency oriented Federation for Community Service which combined fund-raising and planning. It traces subsequent efforts to establish an autonomous planning body through defeat of plans to expand the feminist Child Welfare Council and creation of the Toronto Welfare Council in 1937, re-establishment of combined funding and planning organization when the Council joined the new Community Chest in 1944, and final achievement of an independent planning council in 1957.