Extraordinarily ordinary: working in the social economy

Abstract

PurposePolicy actors around the world are increasingly looking to the social economy – markets explicitly oriented towards meeting social needs, usually through the third sector – to underpin livelihoods and deliver welfare services. Once considered an adjunct to markets and states, and possibly even a residual, the social economy is being seen as a legitimate player in the plural economy, able to thrive through the effort of dedicated individuals and organisations committed to ethical entrepreneurship. The assumption is that future capitalism can accommodate, perhaps even requires as recession deepens, the energies of the social economy in making new markets and meeting welfare needs. While a body of research has emerged examining the economic characteristics of social enterprises and how they succeed or not in managing the interface between market and ethical priorities, little is known about what it is like to be involved in the social economy or about what different social actors gain from the experience. However, most academic and policy thinking assumes that engagement in the social economy is both rewarding and empowering. This paper aims to fill this gap.Design/methodology/approachThis paper draws on sobering case evidence from Bristol relating to the experience of social entrepreneurs, employees and volunteers.FindingsThe critical question raised by this study is whether the role of the social economy should be that of returning the socially disadvantaged back into the formal economy. The evidence in this study tends to suggest that this expectation could be misguided and overly ambitious.Originality/valueThe paper offers insight into the backgrounds, motivations, experiences and futures of people involved in the social economy.

Life on the edge: navigating the competitive tensions between the 'social' and the 'economic' in the social economy and in its relations to the mainstream

“…It is at this point, and in part a reflection of the emphasis given to "professionalisation" in public policy towards the social economy, that many SEOs bring in new "professional" managers who bring fresh perspectives to the issue of running the SEO explicitly as a social enterprise. These people are often refugees from the world of mainstream business or people who have had a successful career in business or in the public sector, retired early, and have time of their hands that they seek to use by engaging with the social economy (see Amin, 2008). However, "professionalisation" also has implications for the balance of emphasis on the "social" versus the "economic".…”

“…For some this is precisely because of their ethical and moral commitment to helping others less fortunate than themselves but for others it marks a recognition of limited opportunities -or indeed no opportunities -of finding employment in the mainstream economy. For them work in the social economy is typically mundane and "extraordinarily ordinary" (see Amin, 2008) and many are content to remain within the safe haven that it offers in an otherwise turbulent world.. Furthemore, for those who founded these SEOs and continue to direct and manage them, any concern with issues such as expansion via expanding markets remains off the agenda as this is seen as undermining their "social" imperatives; if this means an uncertain future of reliance upon voluntary labour and precarious funding via contracts and/or grants from the state or grants from charitable trusts, so be it.…”

Geographies of labour in the third sector: making Hybrid Workforces in Place

“…This work is low paid, with poor and often worsening working conditions both in the UK (Cunningham 2008;Cunningham and James 2009) and elsewhere (Baines 2009;Baines et al 2011). Thus, although there has been some attention to the careers and motivations of third sector employees (Lewis 2008;Amin 2009) and particularly to the challenges of retaining workers despite the worsening terms and conditions of employment (Baines and Cunningham 2011) the central focus is on the dynamics shaping these worsening terms and conditions, underpinned by a broader critique of neo-liberal welfare policy. Nonetheless, there are some significant spatial implications of these drivers for growth.…”

“…The majority of this growth is accounted for by the expansion of two rather different types of work. First, the increased 'mainstreaming' of the sector has resulted in formalization, bureaucratization and professionalization, increasing demand for professional and managerial staff (Hadley 1995;Amin 2009). Second, the contracting out of statutory services to third sector organizations has led to a rise in the number of health and social care staff in the sector (Moro and Mackay 2009).…”

Taking Your Eyes Off the Objective: The Relationship Between Income Sources and Satisfaction with Achieving Objectives in the UK Third Sector

“…The Third Sector and social enterprise have been seen as increasingly attractive for a number of years for governments looking to reduce the burden of the welfare state (Austin et al, 2006;Amin, 2009). The Third Sector's embedded nature within those communities that they serve has also been suggested to make it an appropriate and efficient delivery mechanism for public sector provision (HM Treasury, 2007).…”