The welfare state takes a stand against the demands of modernization by seeking to care for society’s most vulnerable groups. People with disabilities are in a particularly vulnerable position, facing numerous obstacles to the labor market. Social enterprises, especially work integration social enterprises (WISE), can provide an important access point for their integration. The present analysis of five post-socialist countries in the European Union – Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, and Croatia – identifies several general characteristics essential for WISE development, such as the existence of some form of financing as well as certain legislative and institutional frameworks that remain underdeveloped. Lack of awareness and promotion of WISEs as well as a shortage of necessary skills have delayed WISE development in these countries, particularly in Croatia, where WISEs are few with small numbers of employees. This study provides recommendations for improving the situation of WISEs in Croatia in order to help them facilitate the employment and social inclusion of people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
vatska/Croatia, zbabic@eizg.hr 1 Rad se temelji na rezultatima istraživanja provedenim u okviru izrade doktorske disertacije.152 Rev. soc. polit., god. 15, br. 2, str. 151-170, Zagreb 2008. Babić Z.: Redistribucijski učinci socijalnih transfera u RH
The social economy sector in Croatia has been neglected for a long time and has not been recognized as a space for sustainable jobs and the development of a more inclusive and cohesive society, as is the case in many Eastern and Central European countries. On the other hand, social entrepreneurship is a relatively new phenomenon established in this century. The aim of this paper is to assess the trends and challenges of social economy development in Croatia as the newest, last EU member state. On the basis of a secondary data analysis, the paper scrutinizes trends in social economy development. Social entrepreneurship is analysed as a part of the social economy that is strengthening, as well as the economic activity of associations that tends to turn into a social economy or a solidarity economy. The paper will also give an overview of the instances of the institutional context of the development of cooperatives and social enterprises, such as the recent legislative and policy changes, as well as the institutional framework with some insights into recommendations how to promote the development of the social economy sector in Croatia. Keywords: social economy; cooperative sector; social enterprises; Croatia.
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