Self-Help and the Social Economy: A Synthesis

Abstract

Although the literatures of the social economy and the self-help tradition have distinct roots, there are commonalities between them. This article discusses some of these commonalities and what these two traditions can add to each other. Following a brief discussion of the social economy and the self-help traditions, we discuss two dimensions of commonality, synthesize these into a model, present some case illustrators, and the implications of the analysis.