The social economy, and social enterprise, is recognised as a growing part of local economies and an increasing feature of public policy. Social enterprises in particular are assumed to be an important source of economic... [ view full abstract ]
The social economy, and social enterprise, is recognised as a growing part of local economies and an increasing feature of public policy. Social enterprises in particular are assumed to be an important source of economic growth, a vital support for disadvantaged areas and groups, and an essential part of the reform of public services. Less consideration is given to the understanding of whether and how different economic geographies influence the potential for the social economy to develop and grow.
This paper aims to contribute to this debate by contrasting and confronting the experiences of organisations in two Northern English city regions, exploring the meaning and implications of difference between two otherwise similar locations. The investigation particularly focused on the conundrum of business and ethical reconciliation, questioning what affects the ability of organisations to marry social and economic goals. The celebratory narrative, both politically and academically, legitimises social enterprises as organisational models able to balance business and social objectives, depicted as a business model that is financially successful and more caring and innovative than the state provision. Drawing from ethnographic approaches and adopting participant observation and interviews as main data collection techniques, this qualitative study aimed at unveiling the everyday practices of ‘doing’ social enterprise.
The findings from this research indicate that what social enterprises can achieve depends as much on the individuals involved as on the context from which they emerge and operate. By context here I refer to the space of social relations (Amin, Cameron and Hudson 2002) emerging in and characterising different geographies. The findings from this research reveal that each locality nurtures different relational assets, depending on the nature of the institutions, the community and its culture. These relational assets in turn provide diverse incentives and opportunities for the social economy to develop and grow. Indeed, different geographical regions have diverse economic, social and cultural landscapes where there are choices to limit or support diversity or indeed promote uniformity (Gibson-Graham 2008, p. 624). It is within these diverse socio-economic landscapes that ethical orientations and possibilities are shaped. The objective of this paper is therefore to show that a differentiated approach in the study and understanding of social enterprise can bring additional insights to the literature on relational perspectives and the importance of cultural aspects in local development. By adopting a diverse economy perspective in place, it contributes to wider debates around the discursive and material construction of economic categories, performed and practiced at different spatial scales (James et al. 2006, p.1).
Key words
Social enterprise – social relations – place -space
References
Amin, A. Cameron, A. and Hudson, R. (2002) Placing the Social Economy, Routledge, London.
Gibson, J. and Graham, K. (2008) Diverse economies: performative practices for other worlds, Progress in Human Geography, 32 (5): 613-632.
James, A., Martin, R., Sunley, P. (2006) The rise of cultural economic geography. In Martin, R.L. and Sunley, P. eds. Critical Concepts in Economic Geography, Volume IV, London: Routledge, pp.1-18.
