Constructing a Sustainable Future: Exploring the Strategic Relevance of Social and Solidarity Economy Frameworks

Abstract

This working paper explores recent economic trends and thinking and the resulting conceptualizations of social and solidarity economy. The project focused on examining the definition of social economy being used by BALTA and critiquing its conceptual capacity to effectively guide policy and practice in a volatile and rapidly changing global context. Describing some key elements of the context from which CED and the Social Economy have emerged over the last 30-50 years as a point of departure, the paper examines the Pearce definition being used by BALTA to guide its mapping work and offers an alternative solidarity economy formulation that cuts the conceptual cloth very differently.