Abstract
AbstractDrawing upon insights from historical institutionalism, this article critically examines the origins of social enterprise and its emergence into the mainstream policy arena. It begins by relating the social enterprise idea to major non‐state/non‐private institutional traditions, including the European social economy, US non‐profits and the UK charitable sector, and places it within the specific field of economic and social welfare. In so doing, the article contests the idea that social enterprise is a new phenomenon in the social welfare field and proposes instead that the supposed ‘novelty’ of social enterprise as an organizational form and a subject of public policy lies primarily in the nature of the socio‐political and economic context of the 1980s–1990s, during which time it became ‘en vogue’. The process of institutionalization of social enterprise and its ascension into the mainstream policy arena is examined in more detail in the case of England during the time New Labour was in office and beyond, and lessons are drawn from this experience concerning both the role that social enterprise plays or is expected to play as a vehicle to address economic and social needs, and how this is intertwined with both a dominant neo‐liberal discourse, as well as alternative perspectives that emphasize more equalitarian and sustainable development paths. The article concludes with some reflections in relation to the apparent consensus that seems to exist around social enterprise as a legitimate subject of public policy and the resulting social enterprization of public services which is currently taking place in England.
Highlights
The debate over the future of public welfare services and the fact that they are moving towards the greater use of markets and competition (Le Grand 2007; Greener and Powell 2009) has taken a new turn recently: that associated with the increasing role of not-for-profit organizations and social enterprises, notable in the UK (Cabinet Office 2011a; Millar et al 2012; NCVOSOCIAL POLICY & ADMINISTRATION, VOL. 49, NO. 7, DECEMBER 20152010; Wright et al 2011)
Its rapid ascension into the mainstream policy arena has materialized in the recent establishment of national and multinational policy institutions that have been created to support the sector, such as the Social Enterprise World Forum, the EU European Council of Associations of General Interest and the US Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation
In the UK, social enterprise has moved from its past modest position on the margins of social and economic policy to currently occupying a key position within wider debates over welfare reform to the extent that it has even been depicted as the future of public services (Cabinet Office 2010a)
Summary
The debate over the future of public welfare services and the fact that they are moving towards the greater use of markets and competition (Le Grand 2007; Greener and Powell 2009) has taken a new turn recently: that associated with the increasing role of not-for-profit organizations and social enterprises, notable in the UK (Cabinet Office 2011a; Millar et al 2012; NCVOSOCIAL POLICY & ADMINISTRATION, VOL. 49, NO. 7, DECEMBER 20152010; Wright et al 2011). The debate over the future of public welfare services and the fact that they are moving towards the greater use of markets and competition (Le Grand 2007; Greener and Powell 2009) has taken a new turn recently: that associated with the increasing role of not-for-profit organizations and social enterprises, notable in the UK
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