This document discusses the distinctive characteristics of socio-ecological production and exchange initiatives (SE initiatives) which emphasize social and environmental justice, innovative practices, and community empowerment in response to modern economic challenges. It highlights the importance of local contexts, diverse social markets, and participatory approaches in fostering sustainable development. The authors conclude that while SE initiatives have transformative potential, they face challenges regarding organization, technology, and institutional support for their continued growth.

1. May 10, 2016
Beyond social economy: distinctive
characteristics of socio-ecological
production and exchange initiatives
Blanca Miedes Ugarte
Celia Sánchez lópez
miedes@uhu.es

2. Summary
• About this work
• Multidisciplinary focus: the ”Doughnut" problem
• SE initiatives as a new concept of innovation
• Main features of SE initiatives that distinguish them from
both the capitalist economy and the various forms of
conventional social economy.
• Conclusions
32

3. Creative (creativa) and Useful
(útil) Ecónomy
FAIR, respectful TO PEOPLE
AND THE ENVIRONMENT
25/11/2016 3
Action-Research project developed by a group of students from
the course of Expert of Solidarity Economy and social
entrepreneurship of the UHU in collaboration with the C3IT.
Participatory mapping

4. 6
The ”Doughnut" problem
Kate
Raworth
Economic growth (GDP increase) is not the real problem, but
scarcity, degradation and inequality
Multidimensionalité

5. 7
9 planetary
boundaries
Johan Rockström
and 28 other
scientists published in
the journal
"Nature"(2009)
Source: Kate Raworth

6. 9
11 social
priorities Rio
+20 summit:
water, food, health, energy,
employment, voice
(democracy), resilience,
education, economic income,
gender equality, equality social.
Source: Kate Raworth

7. 27
How to keep our
place in the safe
and just area?
Kate Raworth

8. A lot of decisions to take in all scales!
• Production (useful, creative, circular economy)
• Energy (removable, clean)
• Time policies (paid-unpaid work distribution, life cycle approach)
•Income policies (wages, basic income)
• Tax reforms (against evasion and fraud)
• Financial reforms (limits)
• Territorial model (internal & external cohesion)
32

9. A new concept of innovation
• Current people, in current places,
facing common problems (food, energy,
transport, business, employment...).
• social currencies, time banks, social-urban gardens, co-
working spaces , ethical finance, consumer cooperatives for
ecological and fair trade, innovative cultural activities, new
cooperatives for the production of renewable energy ...
• Most of them are gathered in short
circuits integrating in the best
possible way social markets (Hernandez,
2012).
Film by Cyril Dion
People solutions to “Doughnut” problems

10. A framework for evaluate/ making
decisions together…
Source: Kate Raworth

11. 3
What are main features of SE initiatives
that distinguish them from both the
capitalist economy and the various forms
of conventional social economy?

12. Characteristics SE inititatives
• The principle of social justice joins the
principle of environmental justice.
• Life styles and values are mayor
concerns.
• Consciousness of place arises.
• Design and execution in the very same
process: ”prosumers”, networking.
• Knowledge (ICT) as a factor of economic
and political empowerment.

13. Life stiles and values
•SE initiatives arise in an attempt
to answer the question how to
make a living? in a broader
framework of the old question
about how to live?
@Norismo

14. Life stiles and values
•External changes to be enough
disruptive should be guided by
an internal change in the
systems of beliefs, preferences
and worldviews informing
lifestyles (Crompton & Kasser, 2009;
Rokeach, 1973; Schwartz, 1992; Emmons,
1989).
@Norismo

15. “Place” as the space in which people
resolve their needs, coexist, co-
construct their identity, share
projects and design a common
future.
Getting back to the
"consciousness of place"
Place, understood as a collective
heritage guaranteeing biological and
social reproduction of the community
(Alberto Magnaghi, 2010)

16. Multiscale networks for socioecological transition
25/11/2016 16
• Towns in transition (Hopkins, 2011)
• Degrowth Networks (Fournier,
2008)
• “Slow” movements (Geof, 2008)
• Other….
Local cosmopolitism

17. DIVERSITY as key factor: local markets, complementary
alternative production, consumption, financial, cultural circuits...
Jordi García: Picture taken at the seminar Commons, FUHEM-ecosocial, 17/11/12
Avoiding any kind of
”monoculture” fostering
local resilience.
Complementarity
Complexity (fuzzy borders)
Resilience

18. Good news: MAKING and SHARING
develop intelligence!
Meaning
Connection
Learning
Design and execution in the same
process

19. How we think we think => How we believe societies should
decided
Hierarchy
(Brain gives orders
to the rest of the body)
Neural network
(The whole body “thinks”)
Neurosciences
=>
A new brain metaphor

20. "Smart cities”
need intelligent citizenship
29
Source: http://www.qtorb.com
Building a new meaning
meaning of
“togetherness”
•Spaces:
• For interaction.
• For tools.
• For training.
Knowledge= Empowerment

21. Political empowerment
@Norismo
• Perceived self-efficacy: people's beliefs
about their capabilities to produce
designated levels of performance that
exercise influence over events that
affect their lives.
• It determine how people feel, think,
motivate themselves and behave
(Bandura, 1998).
Main source of empowerment:
Sense of self-efficacy

22. Conclusion
• Big transformative potential.
• But still has a limited scope and deficient
organizational and technological operating
modes.
• One of main challenges knowledge
institutions face in the coming decades is to
support the development of these new socio-
ecological activities:
• Legal, economic, social and political framework
(valorisation, impact assessment)
• Tools (technological, organizational, emotional)
• Core concerns of the territorial intelligence
projects.

23. May 10, 2016
Beyond social economy: distinctive
characteristics of socio-ecological
production and exchange initiatives
Blanca Miedes Ugarte
Celia Sánchez lópez
miedes@uhu.es