This paper constitutes a contribution by the Solidarity Economy and Co-operative Economics Research Group at Unisinos (Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos) to the theoretical debate promoted in the scope of the ICSEM (International Comparative Social Enterprise Models) Project , whose definition of social enterprise (SE) stresses specific governance models, often found in social enterprises, rather than the profile of social entrepreneurs. A democratic control or a participatory involvement of stakeholders and citizens reflects a quest for more economic democracy inside the organisation, in the line of the tradition of cooperatives and, more recently, of the social and solidarity economy.
In Brazil, the last term, solidarity economy, gained notoriety and official recognition from the 1990s onwards, as notable economic initiatives, recognised for their associative nature and cooperative self-management practices, emerged in the country. In its expansion, the solidarity economy has come to include different social categories and organisational arrangements, such as informal income-generation groups units, farmer and consumer associations, local exchange systems, and cooperative indigenous farming communities, dedicated to producing goods or providing services, commercialisation and credit.
According to reference studies (Singer and Souza 2000; Gaiger 2004; Pinto 2006; Veronese 2008; Cattani et al. 2009), the priority of solidarity in these ventures is evident in their members’ involvement in day-to-day management, as well as in the socialisation of productive resources and the adoption of equality principles. When extended to its surroundings, solidarity encourages broader reciprocity practices, where practical experience in managing the common good lends new value to the notions of justice and public interest. The collective action involved in the solidarity economy places new actors into the workplace, in class strategies and citizenship struggles, in response to concerns over welfare, recognition and a meaningful life.
Nowadays, the solidarity economy evokes a wide range of economic organisations, representative bodies, civil society and state organisations. Depending on the context, it can also refer to an economic sector, a social movement or a field of political intervention. Given its relevance in the country and the similarity of its enterprises with social enterprises, the solidarity economy has been the object of study in the Brazilian case for the purposes of the ICSEM Project .
As a partial result of the study in the Brazilian case, the aim of this paper is firstly to outline some historical aspects of the solidarity economy in Brazil, with a view to clarifying points of the dividing lines between older and more recent experiences, and also to giving prominence to the unique characteristics of the solidarity economy. The second section describes the method adopted to built a preliminary typology of “solidarity economy enterprise” (EES, or empreendimento econômico solidário in Portuguese). Following these methodological considerations, five types of EESs will be presented. The paper concludes with general considerations regarding theoretical issues publicised by the ICSEM Project. It will be argued that the realities of the South would be misunderstood without the distinction between the logic of “domesticity” (following the concept of Karl Polanyi), essential to the family and community-based economy that sustains countless solidarity enterprises, and that of “reciprocity” such as it is used in the welfare triangle. This unquestionably important heuristic reference could then complementarily assemble the four principles of economic action conceived by Karl Polanyi.
Paper_EMES_Conference_-_LI_Gaiger.pdf 