Vanya Ganeva
Social and Solidarity Economy – Democratic Association, Mutual Aid and Cooperation
Summary:
The author of this article attempts to clarify the nature, specificity and role of social and solidarity economy in the modern world. She also discusses to what extent it should be the focus of attention of economic sociology as a science in the context of the relation with its subject matter, and which approaches and theories in sociology and economic sociology can be used as explanatory models of social and solidarity economy.
The conclusion is that social and solidarity economy successfully combines the achievement of economic and social objectives. It contributes to social cohesion and inclusion, and plays an important role in integrating risk groups such as people with mental and physical disabilities.
Social and solidarity economy as part of the economy of a society is the subject of research by economic sociology as a science studying the social aspects of economic life. The theoretical approaches (for social networks, social capital, social nature of economic activities, etc.), developed in modern economic sociology, can be used as explanatory models of the processes occurring in social and solidarity economy.
