The Social Economy, which puts “people before profits”, features a long and illustrious history, specifically in Europe. In Canada our company is not quite as accustomed to the idea, but that does not necessarily mean that this social economy is not essential to Canada! This section of our website will assist you to explore what this term means. Your comments and reflections are welcome – e mail us.
The research in the Social Economy and Sustainability Research Network is partnered research, research that answers questions that happen to be important to the community-based individuals the team, and contributes knowledge that they could use “on the ground”. Perform its not all define the social economy in the same manner, and then for most members of the team the concept is not really a familiar one. However, we discover the word social economy being useful as an inclusive term that challenges us to think differently about the many areas of the economy – the processes and institutions by which we meet inside our needs. After all, we humans create our economy, so just why not start new ways of thinking, of valuing the various ways perform this?
Drawing on a wide array of writings around the politi fabrizio, including ones mentioned below, L. Brown (Director, Social Economy and Sustainability Research Network) finds it useful to come up with the social economy in the following way:
“Rooted in local communities and independent from government, Social Economy organizations are democratic and/or participatory, pull together many types of resources in the socially owned entity, and prioritize social objectives and social values. As they may intend to produce a profit, they actually do so within a context that sees profit as 42dexepky ways to meet social goals, not primarily as a method to generate individual wealth. They might rely on volunteer labour as well as, or rather than, paid employees. The Social Economy is described as mutual self-help initiatives, and by initiatives to meet the needs of disadvantaged members of society.”
Whilst the lines in between the private public and social economy sectors are usually blurry, they have a classification system which can be very helpful. Of these authors, the social economy includes public sector nonprofits (e.g. museums, Children’s Aid Societies, food banks) that typically depend on government monies for any substantial percentage of their revenues, market-based associations that generate most, if not completely of their income in the market (e.g. most co-operatives, Blue Cross, the YMCA), and civil society organizations which overlap neither the current market nor the general public sector.