Social Solidarity Economy Research Articles

Cooperation as an integral part of the social and solidarity economy (SSE)

A theoretical analysis of the works of domestic and foreign authors on the problem of determining the place and role of the social (solidarity) economy (SSE) organization in the modern world economic space is carried out. The essential features of social (solidary enterprises) are revealed. The SWOT analysis allowed us to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the SSE organizations. The differences between non-profit and market economy are shown. The essential features of cooperation as the main socio-economic institution of the SSE are considered. Mechanisms for reducing global poverty by cooperatives have been identified. The factors constraining the progressive development of cooperative enterprises in Russia are identified.

Social solidarity economy in a decolonial sense? Approaches from the Brazilian case

The many-sided contemporary crisis—political, ecological, industrial, neoliberal—has been reviving debates on other ways of conceiving the economy and human organization, questioning the supposed homogeneity of the capitalist mode of production. In the capitalist periphery of the Global South, the current debate has its cultural and political–ideological roots in the modernity–coloniality binomial, as well as in the recognition of the persistence and strengthening of “other economies” based on different modes of economic integration. In this article, we argue that the capitalist and colonial relations established in the Global South impose specific characteristics for the other economies in their peripheral spaces, in particular for social and solidarity economy practices. Thus, we propose a view of the Global South that recognizes its economic systems as marked by economic differences and also constituted by antagonisms and disputes.

Social solidarity economy and urban commoning in post-crisis contexts: Madrid and Athens in a comparative perspective

ABSTRACT The social solidarity economy (SSE), as an alternative paradigm to crisis-prone market-driven capitalism, gained significant momentum during the last decade in cities such as Madrid and Athens that experienced the harsh impact of neoliberal austerity. This article consolidates a debate between divergent accounts of social economy and the commons, in order to bring forward the urban dimension of SSE and the contested spatiality of commoning in crisis-ridden contexts. This gesture lays the ground for unearthing various analytical dimensions of commoning, from urban-based socioeconomic practice, to re-instituting forms of urban commons via governance and policy channels. Through an empirically informed, comparative account of the SSE in Madrid and Athens, the article critically assesses the possibilities and limitations encountered in the process of expanding resistance to and experimentation beyond dominant socioeconomic practice and given institutional arrangements. The article is based on extensive original empirical research conducted in Madrid and Athens between 2017 and 2019.

Cenários especulativos pós-pandêmicos

Apresenta em termos genéricos três cenários econômicos e sociais para o período de pós-pandemia do coronavírus: o velho normal, o novo normal e o anômalo. O método para a construção dos cenários é o da fabulação especulativa. Observa-se que os dois primeiros cenários são variações de um mesmo paradigma e apenas o último pode ser considerado realmente uma “equivocação” do paradigma atual. O cenário anômalo, embora mais “improvável”, se configura o único realista a longo prazo. Nesse cenário estuda-se como o conceito de redes solidárias pode ser potencializado por uma reapropriação das plataformas digitais. Os conceitos de tecnologia social e economia solidária fornecem a melhor descrição de integração para um cenário anômalo. Termina com um esboço de uma proposta eficaz para a renda básica universal.

State and Social Solidarity Economy: Friends or foes? The potential for co-construction of public policies for Social Solidarity Economy in Greece

Kοινωνική και Aλληλέγγυα Oικονομία και κράτος: φίλοι ή εχθροί;Η δυνατότητα συν-διαμόρφωσης δημόσιων πολιτικών για την Κοινωνική και Αλληλέγγυα Οικονομία στην ΕλλάδαΤο παρόν άρθρο αναφέρεται στη σχέση μεταξύ του κράτους και της Κοινωνικής Αλληλέγγυας Οικονομίας (ΚΑΟ) επικεντρώνοντας στην περίπτωση του νόμου 4430/2016 για τους Φορείς ΚΑΟ στην Ελλάδα. Αυτό το νομικό πλαίσιο εισήχθη σε μια εποχή που ένα νέο κύμα συνεργατισμού είχε εμφανιστεί στην Ελλάδα της κρίσης, ενώ ένα κόμμα της ριζοσπαστικής αριστεράς με ισχυρές σχέσεις με κοινωνικά κινήματα είχε την πρωτοβουλία για να σχηματίσει κυβέρνηση. Σε αυτό το πλαίσιο, διερευνήσαμε τις δυνατότητες μιας νέας πορείας στην αλληλεπίδραση κράτους και ΚΑΟ μέσα από το πρίσμα της συν-διαμόρφωσης δημόσιων πολιτικών. Τα αποτελέσματα που παρουσιάζονται σε αυτό το άρθρο βασίζονται σε ένα ερευνητικό έργο που χρηματοδοτήθηκε από το Ίδρυμα Χάινριχ Μπελ Γραφείο Θεσσαλονίκης. Το ερευνητικό σχέδιο βασίζεται σε μικτές μεθόδους: στην ανάλυση περιεχομένου των παρεμβάσεων δικτύων και υποστηρικτικών οργανώσεων κατά τη διάρκεια των διαδικασιών διαβούλευσης, και την ανάλυση των αποτελεσμάτων ημι-δομημένων συνεντεύξεων με επιλεγμένα δίκτυα και φορείς στήριξης της ΚΑΟ στην Ελλάδα.

Give the planet a chance if we want our patients to have a future

Climate changes have never been as dramatically apparent in our everyday life as now. It is urgent to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the consequences of climate changes both on the planet and on human health. The indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources and the lack of shared rules are among the major causes. Recently, some economists have called for a radical change in the present economic model towards a ‘social solidarity economy’ model. G.Giraud, a French economist, called for an ecological and social transition in order to reduce the ecological footprint and deal concretely with the problem of global warming. The good news is that the solutions are there and do not have to be punitive. Health consequences of climate changes have already caused serious draw backs on public health. Doctors and scientific institutions can and must contribute to help mitigate the effects of climate change through increasing commitment and support to goodenvironmental policies. Climate emergency requires the extension of ethics and medical practice beyond their traditional mission to involve the relationship between patients, doctors and society. We propose that medical scientific institutions quickly promote the birth of task forces dedicated to addressing this problem. (GCND_planet)

ISCTE-IUL 2019 International Conference: Social Solidarity Economy and the Commons - Contributions to the Deepening of Democracy

The international conference i?½Social Solidarity Economy and the Commons - Contributions to the Deepening of Democracyi?½ was held on November 6th-8th 2019 at the Instituto Universiti?½rio de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL) in Lisbon (Portugal). Its aim was to promote dialogue and exchanges of knowledge and experience among academics, practitioners and civil society activists about new governance models of the commons and the necessity to find alternative or complementary socio-economic development paradigms based on new spaces for collective action to re-establish social ties and build new life and work opportunities. This short report, included in the JEOD i?½Conference letteri?½ section, retraces and briefly illustrates the main findings emerged during the conference.

Digitization of Economic Systems and Human Capital: Enterprise, Region, National Economy

The article examines the process of digitization in two contexts: first, as the transition of technical and economic systems from analog to digital methods of recording information; secondly, as a phase transition to a new model of organization of economic systems, which can be conditionally called the "digital economy". The economic effects of digitalization (in the first sense) are analyzed: the advantages of digital storage of information (in particular, the effects of quality and cost); savings on technological simplification; effects of using digital clones; communication effects from the universality of digital language; effects of dematerialization of technological and transport operations; effects of virtualization of production systems. Characterizing the digital economy, which is aimed at the transformation of economic systems, the authors identify the following key components: alternative energy, additive technologies (3D-printing); digital communication channels; horizontal distributed networks, information technologies in production and consumption; digital business models and platforms; globalization of society, new social relations and solidarity economy, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, cloud technologies, digitalization of public life. Depending on the links between the three types of entities (consumers, business structures of business and government organizations), different business models of economic activity are characterized. Factors of increase of efficiency of economic subjects in the conditions of digital economy are allocated, in particular, at the expense of: economy of expenses, increase in production volumes, growth of labor productivity, optimization of processes of pricing. Emphasis is placed on the growing role of man in the processes of digitalization of the economy. The components of digital human competencies are characterized. The importance of human free access to information is emphasized.

Dismantling the Master’s House: Toward a Justice-Based Theory of Community Economic Development

Since the end of the American Civil War, scholars have debated the efficacy of various models of community economic development, or CED. Historically, this debate has tracked one of two approaches: place-based models of CED, seeking to stimulate community development through market-driven economic growth programs, and people-based models of CED, focused on the removal of structural barriers to social and economic mobility that prevent human flourishing. More recently, scholars and policymakers have turned to a third model from the impact investing community—the social impact bond, or SIB. The SIB model of CED ostensibly finds a middle ground by leveraging funding from private impact investors to finance social welfare programs within marginalized communities. SIBs seemingly answer the call of local government law scholars of the New Regionalists movement who advocate for governmental mechanisms that facilitate regional cooperation, address equity concerns, and respect local government autonomy. However, this Article argues that the SIB model of impact investing will struggle to advance metropolitan equity due to its grounding in the politics of neoliberalism. After highlighting limitations of the SIB, this Article links contemporary debates about CED theory to historical contestations within the black community about economically-oriented racial uplift strategies. Placing historical figures, such as W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington, in conversation with more contemporary theorists of political philosophy, this Article offers an alternative conceptual framework of CED. Termed justice-based CED, this framing distinguishes a typology of social change that places democracy at the epicenter of the development debate and points toward the political principles of the solidarity economy as guideposts for law reform. The justice-based approach rests upon three core values: social solidarity, economic democracy, and solidarity economy. Taken together, this perspective reflects a vision of political morality that embodies one of America’s most foundational democratic values—human moral dignity.

The social solidary economy and the new federal government’s social policy

Based on the Mexican case, after an evident failure of social policies as effective instruments to fight poverty during neoliberal government terms (1982-2018) and arguing in favor of the convenience of submitting it to a profound reorientation, the present article postulate a thesis where the confluence of interests between the new federal government, that took office on December 1, 2018, and the cooperative and social solidarity economy movement could be produced when social policies abandon their old clientelist, assistance and paternalistic inclinations, in order to assume a citizens’ capabilities and skills development focus. Only under these conditions, organized civil society could take responsibility for the solution of their own problems at a local level, counting with a strong and consistent support from governmental institutions.

Economías-otras: Introducción a un monográfico necesario

This work criticizes the conventional notion of economics, to place it in the satisfaction of needs within a framework of environmental limits. From there we build a frame of reference for other Economies, understanding those that drink from the perspectives of the Care Economy, the Social-Solidarity Economy and the Ecological Economy. From them, alternatives to the idea of “development” are re-introduced on the basis of looks that have become current (decrease with justice, feminism, strong sustainability) and practices that arise around (new) forms of social cooperation (New commons).

Information Governance Implications on Social Solidarity Economy

Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) initiative which has been implemented in Malaysia and shows it success when four case studies reported SSE communities or organization displayed efforts in helping the public on exiting economic crisis. However, the information miss-governance destroys the SSE business value, slow down organization and creates unnecessary risk to the SSE communities when the government and state neglected SSE successful initiatives in combating economic crisis of the public, yet not having them as a solution to the economic downturn. A case study was conducted to identify implication of information governance towards social solidarity economy initiative. Information Governance Framework were tested to two focus group using empirical study. The framework was simulated on the focus group to analyze its significant impact. The results of the study indicates that information governance increase income generation with significant achievement. The results of this study is important to demonstrate application of IG towards SSE decreases opportunity of business operation mistakes and dark data composition.

Economía Comunitaria desde la Perspectiva Intercultural de Género para el Buen Vivir de los Pueblos ¨Otra Economía es Posible¨

Esta investigación ha analizado la experiencia de la Universidad de las Regiones Autónomas de la Costa Caribe Nicaragüense (URACCAN), el gobierno y la participación familiar en la economía comunitaria. Es una investigación cualitativa desde una perspectiva hermenéutica, se analizaron libros, artículos científicos, informes de congresos, artículos de prensa, políticas y normas institucionales. Los resultados revelan que en América Latina las familias y pueblos mestizos, indígenas y afrodescendientes están buscando formas que les permita no sólo sobrevivir, sino vivir de manera digna y justa. La economía comunitaria es otro modelo civilizatorio, es una filosofía que hoy emerge con raíces ancestrales, fortalecida por las diversas prácticas socioeconómicas de familias, organizaciones, pueblos y que afirman que “Otra Economía es Posible”. Por tanto, es necesario plantear algunos retos para potenciar la economía comunitaria y ser el cimiento del nuevo paradigma que es la Economía Social Solidaria.

Waste Picker Organizations and Their Contribution to the Circular Economy: Two Case Studies from a Global South Perspective

The discussion on the circular economy (CE) has attracted a rising interest within global policy and business as a way of increasing the sustainability of production and consumption. Yet the literature mostly portrays a Global North perspective. There is a diverse spectrum of community-based organizations playing important roles in resource recovery and transformation, particularly, but not only, in Global South countries, providing innovative examples for grassroots involvement in waste management and in the CE. This article proposes to add a Southern lens, situated in the context of waste picker organizations, to the concept of CE. The discursive framework in this article couples ecological economy (EE) with social/solidarity economy (SSE), focusing not only on environmental sustainability but also on social, economic, political and cultural dimensions involved in production, consumption and discard. We acknowledge that grassroots movements contribute to policy making and improve urban waste management systems. The paper outlines two empirical studies (Argentina, Brazil) that illustrate how waste picker organizations perform selective waste collection services, engage with municipalities and industries, and practice the CE. The research reveals that social and political facets need to be added to the debate about the CE, linking environmental management and policy with community development and recognizing waste pickers as protagonists in the CE. Our findings emphasize a need for a change of persisting inequalities in public policy by recognizing the importance of popular waste management praxis and knowledge, ultimately redefining the CE.

Memória organizacional e construção de identidade: uma análise da mobilização e organização social no Conjunto Palmeira

Este trabalho objetiva analisar como a memória organizacional vem sendo resgatada e favorecendo a construção da identidade do Conjunto Palmeira, bairro situado na periferia de Fortaleza, Ceará, caracterizado por uma história identitária de mobilização social e economia solidária. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa, documental e de campo em que foram analisados 53 documentos da memória de três organizações sociais partícipes da história local: associação do bairro, Banco Palmas e Instituto Palmas. Ademais foram realizadas três entrevistas com representantes das organizações sociais e da fundação municipal de assistência social. Os resultados indicaram que os mecanismos de memória organizacional se relacionam com processos contínuos de aprendizagem e de construção da identidade local. A memória das organizações sociais se configurou como registro de lutas por direitos sociais e por geração de renda, e como meio que serve à mobilização comunitária, à socioeducação de valores e comportamentos baseados na economia solidária.

Evaluation of the Functioning System of the Social and Solidarity Economy in Slovakia

International scientific project: “Social & Solidarity Economy (SSE) as Development Approach for Sustainability in EYD 2015” (Europe Aid/134863/C/ACT/MULTI, Grant Contract: DCI-NSAED/2014/352-248). The University of Economics in Bratislava – the responsible institution for research focused on SSE in Slovakia. Applied research design: hypothesis and aim, object, methodology. Specification of determining conditions for efficient SSE activities. Analysis and description of the role of the SSE entities. Evaluation of the attributes of supportive public policy for the SSE activities. Identification and recognition of all possible SSE entities from official public open registers. Confrontation of this selected databases with websites of each concrete SSE entity. Mapping the relevant SSE entities in the SR. Selection of the best relevant representatives of SSE entities. Segmentation of the best relevant representatives of SSE entities according to the adequate quadrant of the Power Map of the evaluated entities. Elaboration of the questionnaire for the research of functioning selected SSE entities in Slovakia. Completion and evaluation of questionnaires. Comparison of the obtained information with involved stakeholders according to their direct experiences. Evaluation and selection of the best practice list for relevant representatives of SSE entities (TOP1+TOP2→TOP6). Conclusions and recommendations for science, theory, legislation and practice.

Citizenship, entrepreneurship and social solidarity economy in the context of collectors of recyclable materials cooperative

Citizenship, entrepreneurship and social solidarity economy in the context of collectors of recyclable materials cooperative

Opinion

AbstractMAXIMIZING SUCCESS FOR UNDERGRADUATE ANTHROPOLOGY MAJORS | “To the Field!” by Ty Matejowsky and Beatriz Reyes‐FosterANTHROPOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE | “Climate Change and Social Murder” by Merrill SingerANTHROPOLOGY IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR | Sarah Ono, Heather Schacht Reisinger and Samantha L Solimeo, eds. “Anthropologist as Translator” by Sarah S OnoOTRA ECONOMÍA AND ANTHROPOLOGY | “Latin America and Social Solidarity Economy Legislation” by Ana Inés HerasREGARDING RELIGION | “The Tragedy of Not Knowing History” by Daniel M VariscoKeywords:anthropology education, climate change, public sector, Latin America, economics, religion, history, government

Eficacia de las politicas publicas en Ecuador hacia el sector economico social-solidario

Economia Social, Economia Solidaria, Economia Civil, Economia Relacional, Economia Social de Mercado, Economia Popular y Solidaria, inuchos términos para varias corrientes que la filosofia de la economia ha conceptualizado de forma diferente, en épocas diferentes. Todos estos conceptos, cuyos limites a veces son bastante nebulosos, tienen un componente comun muy importante, un umbral bajo el cual se identifican y se amparan. Este umbral se llama sociedad civil y, el papel de protagonista que juega, marca claramente la diferencia con la economia privada y la economia publica. Haciendo un pequefio recorrido hióérico que, no pretende ser exhaustivo, veremos los origenes de la Economia Social en Europa y su acogida en Ecuador en el principio del siglo XX hasta la realidad actual, con su Economia Popular y Solidaria. La última parte es resultado de una investigacion sobre la Ley Organica de la Economia Popular y Solidaria del 2011, a través de la cual se analizaran las politicas publicas hacia este sector y su eficacia, el papel del Estado y su relacién con la sociedad civil.

Economía de la Reciprocidad: Una aproximación a la Economía Social y Solidaria desde el concepto del don

In different academic and descriptive texts regarding the Social Solidarity Economy (SSE) it is explicitly stated that this “new economy” is based on a rationale that is different from the utilitarian one and from the pursuit of private accumulation of surplus. In much of the current economic behavior in diverse societies and historical contexts one finds the logic of “gift”, which can help understand various behaviors related to exchange, solidarity, reciprocity and redistribution which underpin many of the strategies, activities, relationships and endeavors of the SSE. This behavior corresponds to other logics and rationalities that are beyond the so-called homo economicus. The concept of gift is an appropriate paradigm to understand the ethos underlying such relationships and to describe the ties and links in the SSE. This paper discusses a conceptual and theoretical approach to the concept of gift and the substantivism proposed by Polanyi as factors that help understand some of the strategies and rationales present in the SSE. It also summarizes some recent ethnographic studies in the northern highlands of Ecuador that identify the validity and importance of institutions characterized by reciprocity and the logic of gift. Key words: Social Solidarity Economy, gift, reciprocity, substantivism.