Article

 

SOCIAL CAPITAL AND COOPERATION: A COMPARISON OF AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVES AND SOCIAL PURPOSE ENTERPRISES IN GREECE (p.19-32)

by

Zafeirios THOMAKIS, University of Peloponnese

Irene DASKALOPOULOU, University of Peloponnese

Keywords : Social capital, Cooperation, Social economy, Social enterprises, Agricultural cooperatives

Abstract

Social enterprises are a valuable and effective tool that modern societies might use in their quest for sustainable development. It is often assumed that horizontal measures to support initiatives in the field of social enterprises would suffice to promote a cooperation paradigm that might produce higher societal and economic outcomes. Here we argue that cooperation is built within the cultural context of societies and the stock of social capital that is associated with their organizations. The latter decisively intervenes with the types of cooperation that might emerge in social enterprises and the socio-economic effects of their pursuits.