The document summarizes participatory research being done in Quebec on the social economy. It discusses the long tradition of participatory research at Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and identifies several research centers. It also describes the Alliance de recherche universités-communautés en économie sociale (ARUC-ES), which coordinates five participatory research committees, and the Réseau québécois de recherche partenariale en économie sociale (RQRP-ES), a network of eight regional research groups. Key results of participatory research from 2000-2004 are highlighted, including mobilizing researchers and organizations, publishing documents,

1. Participative Research in Québec:
Social Economy Network
Jean-Marc Fontan
February 2008

2. Presentation
• Participative research at Université du
Québec à Montréal (UQAM)
• Social Economy Field
• Social Economy participative research
network
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3. Participative Research at UQAM
A long tradition
• Service aux collectivités (20 years of history) (http://www.sac.uqam.ca/
index.aspx?ID=accueil)
• Centre de recherche sur les innovations sociales (1986) (http://
www.crises.uqam.ca/)
• Institut de recherche et d’études féministes (1990) (http://
www.iref.uqam.ca/presentation/)
• Le Laboratoire de recherche sur les pratiques et les politiques
sociales (1995) (http://www.larepps.uqam.ca/index.php)
• L’Alliance de recherche universités-communautés en économie
sociale (2000) & le Réseau Québécois de recherche partenariale
en économie sociale (2005) (http://www.aruc-es.uqam.ca/)
• Chaire de recherche du Canada en économie sociale (2003) (http://
www.chaire.ecosoc.uqam.ca/)
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4. Four types of social economy entreprises
Social economy Urgent needs Aspirations
Non-commercial
dominance Collective Kitchens Early Childhood
(social Centers
development)
Commercial
dominance Training Businesses Parminou
(economic (theatre) 4
development)

5. From traditional economy
to knowledge economy
Social economy sectors
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6. Québec collective entrepreneurship
A MAJOR PLAYER
FOR
2002
Collective
6 254 2 313 3 941
Enterprises
Jobs 65 028 19 948 45 080
Sales 4,3 billion $ 3 billion $ 1,3 billion $
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7. Social economy development
Some key players
Conseil québécois de la coopération et de la mutualité (1939)
http://www.coopquebec.coop/
Chantier de l’économie sociale (1996)
http://www.chantier.qc.ca/
Réseau d’investissement social du Québec (1997)
http://www.fonds-risq.qc.ca/
Comité sectoriel de main-d’œuvre de l’économie sociale et de
l’action communautaire (1998)
http://www.csmoesac.qc.ca/
Recherche partenariale en économie sociale
ARUC-ÉS & RQRP-ÉS (2000 & 2005)
http://www.aruc-es.uqam.ca/
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8. Le développement de l’économie sociale
Quelques acteurs-support
L’Alliance de recherche universités-communautés
en économie sociale (ARUC-ES)
Five participative research committees (PRC)
• Recreational and social tourism
• Social housing
• Responsible finance
• Local and regional development
• Services to individuals
Participative research activities : from research-action, to
dissemination of findings and training activities
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9. Le développement de l’économie sociale
Quelques acteurs-support
Le réseau québécois de recherche partenariale en
économie sociale (RQRP-ES)
Eight regional participative research groups in the social economy
• Outaouais
• Montréal
• Mauricie
• Abitibi-Témiscamingue
160 researchers from several universities working with social
economy leaders and entrepreneurs
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10. Success Conditions…
• A collective process from the start
• A clear definition of responsibilities based on specific
strengths and weakness of stakeholders
• A mutual sharing and understanding of advantages,
responsibilities and benefits with a clear commitment
of resources Mutual openness to critics
• Consideration of political and ethical questions related
to the research activities
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11. What kind of results ?
2000-2004 (CURA-SE)
• Mobilization of 50 researchers and 20
organizations
• 17 symposiums
• Participation of more than 1 000 people from
outside universities
• More than 80 research projects
• 75 documents published
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12. Impact & results
• New knowledge : practical and theoretical
• Direct impact on the construction of a collective identity around the social economy
• Direct impact on social and political recognition of the social economy in Quebec
• Contribution to the definition and orientation of public policies
• Innovation
• In the field of partnership research and research-action
• In the construction of a Community of learning
• Networking (observatory & transfer ; dissemination)
• In Québec and recently in Canada
• Internationally: mainly in Europe et Latina America
• Tools
• On governance
• On evaluation
• On finance
• On accounting…
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13. Keys elements for good results
• Research organization
• Each project implies the creation of a Research Committee
• A clear definition of the object of research that integrates the
dissemination objectives from the start
• A strong partnership in the Committee between practitioners and
researchers
• A leadership by the two co-directors of each research-action project
with
• A clear understanding of the work to be done
• A culture of deliberation based on formal and informal learning
• A good support from the overall structure of research
• An allocation of resources (time, money, people) for dissemination
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14. Le développement de l’économie sociale
Quelques acteurs-support
THANK YOU
WWW.ARUC-ES.UQAM.CA
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