The Dynamics of Social Entrepreneurship in Tunisia after the Revolution of 14 January 2011: The Elements of the Concept, the Elements of the Context and the Elements of Implementation

Abstract

Social entrepreneurship has emerged since the 1980s in both the United States and Europe to address the social, ecological, and environmental problems that have destabilised existing economic systems around the world. Since the end of the 1990s, scientific production has been proliferating on this subject, but there is no consensus and a unifying paradigm as to the definition of the concept. This is due to the distinctions in the conception and practice of social entrepreneurship in different contexts, especially in Europe and the United States. Reflecting and practicing social entrepreneurship thus remains subject to the specificities of the geographical context. This work is in line with this perspective, as we seek to understand the characteristics of social entrepreneurship in Tunisia by positioning ourselves in relation to three components: the elements of context, the elements of concept, and the elements of implementation. This work is exploratory, and we adopt a qualitative approach through semi-directive interviews addressed to the actors of the Tunisian ecosystem as well as to social enterprises belonging to several sectors.