Social Economy and Promotionoriented EconomicsHow do We Define a Common Denominator forEnterprises in Social Economies, Co-operatives and Non-profit Organisations?

Abstract

Starting in France, with strong support by the European Commission during the 1980s, the social economy has become a movement spread out worldwide, in some respect parallel to the cooperative movement as represented by the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA), but also part of it. The relationship between the two movements remains unclear. On the research side, the social economy has more links to non-profit and the third sector organizations than to the “conventional” cooperative scene. This unclear relationship is not likely to change soon. On the contrary, both sides work without many contacts and without defined common objectives. There seems to be no initiatives on the part of the ICA to clarify this issue. It appears that social economy and third sector studies attract more sociologists than economists and lawyers. From this point of view, it is interesting to define the common elements of and differences between non-profit organizations, enterprises of the social economy and co-operatives.