Social Economy Guide  Tags: social_enterprise co-operatives community-based_businesses non-profits voluntary_sector  

For definitions of the Social Economy, check the Atlantic Node of the Canadian Social Economy Network. Furthermore, a brief presentation of the Social Economy by Dr. Leslie Brown illustrates the dynamics and importance of research into this fascinating discipline. A social economy blog, Value Added in the SE Brand provides up to date research, news and events specific to the Atlantic region. Moreover, for the latest updates for the Social Economy across Canada including the Atlantic network visit the Social Economy Student Network which is accessible in both English and French.

The Social Economy is a fast growing interdisciplinary subject. In Canada there are seven nodes working throughout the country to further the research and analysis of this discipline. Five of these nodes are specific to the different regions in Canada:

• Atlantic Node
• Quebec Node
• Ontario Node
• Northern Node (encompassing Northern Canada)
• BC-Alberta Node
• Northern Ontario, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan Social Economy Regional Node

• Canadian Social Economy Research Partnerships

          Visit the Social Economy and Sustainability Research Network homepage.

About the Social Economy and Sustainability Research Network

Current responses to the challenges facing the Atlantic region build on a long established tradition of innovation and cooperative effort. These responses have coalesced into a sector known as the social economy. The social economy takes many forms; co-operatives, credit unions, non-profits and mutuals are all aspects of the social economy sector. What these organizations tend to have in common is that they put people before profit, that they exercise democratic principles in their governance, that they put an emphasis on participation, empowerment, and individual and collective responsibility; and that their management is independent of government.

There are, however, wide gaps in our knowledge of this sector. The members of the Social Economy and Sustainability Research Network are working to narrow some of these gaps, particularly in our knowledge about the social economy of the Atlantic region. In the process, we hope to increase the region’s capacity for a dynamic social economy by building partnerships, knowledge, and networks across the region and its peoples; by working with our community partners to meet their research needs, and by making an impact on policy at the provincial and municipal levels.

The Network is committed to facilitating others’ research on the Social Economy, and to encouraging student research. This guide is a collaborative effort of the MSVU Library and the Social Economy and Sustainability Research Network and will grow and adapt as the project progresses. The work of the Social Economy and Sustainability Research Network is supported by a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).  For more details please see:
http://www.msvu.ca/socialeconomyatlantic 

The purpose of the Social Economy Space (SE space) is to promote the widest possibledissemination by collecting and preserving intellectual output written by both academics and practitioners, and ensuring that it has high visibility and accessibility.

The SE-Space site is focused on the works, publications and research by persons involved in researching and writing about matters pertaining to the Social Economy. Currently, the main focus is on work authored by or relevant to Atlantic Canadians, though the intention is that it wiill gradually expandto cover more Canadian and international works. You can visit SE space here.

Separate from the private sector and government, the social economy includes co-operatives, foundations, credit unions, non-profit organisations, the voluntary sector, charities and social economy enterprises. These enterprises are run like businesses, producing goods and services for the market economy, but manage their operations and redirect their surpluses in pursuit of social and environmental goals (Info-Entrepreneurs Canada).