A Review Of Social Economy Research In Canada

Canada is a federal parliamentary democracy, officially bilingual (English and French), and one of the most multicultural countries in the world. Indeed, more than one-fifth of Canada’s population consists of first-generation immigrants, and a similar percentage classify themselves as visible minorities. A confederation of ten provinces and three territories, Canada has a current population of over 36 million people who live across an expansive geographic area that constitutes the second largest country in the world. In this multifaceted context, the social economy of Canada plays an important role in bridging the public and private sectors to form a strong social infrastructure (Quarter, Mook, & Armstrong, 2018). It constitutes a vast range of organizations guided by social objectives including nonprofit organizations such as charities, foundations, and social enterprises; and cooperatives both non-financial.There are distinct traditions of the social economy in anglophone and francophone parts of Canada. There are also traditions specific to particular populations, such as the Black social economy (Hossein, 2013); and the Indigenous social economy (Restoule, Gruner, & Metatawabin, 2012; Sengupta, Vieta, & McMurtry, 2015; Wuttunee, 2010). In this review, we look at the anglophone research on the social economy, noting that there are also French-language research institutions and educational programs focusing on the social economy; however, a review of these is beyond our scope.After providing an overview of the concept of social economy in Canada, we summarize research on its scope and size in the Canadian context. Next we focus on voluntaristic behaviors of giving, volunteering (formal and informal), and participating. Our focus shifts to describing the infrastructure supporting research of the sector, including key academic and umbrella associations and networks, as well as formal and informal education programs. Finally, we describe key funders of social economy research including government and foundations.

Through robust theoretical and in-depth empirical studies, this book offers the first opportunity to English-language readers to learn about the Québec experience of a social economy system.

In Understanding the Social Economy, Jack Quarter, Laurie Mook, and Ann Armstrong integrate a wide array of organizations founded upon a social mission - social enterprises, nonprofits, co-operatives, credit unions, and community development associations - under the rubric of the 'social economy.' This framework facilitates a comprehensive study of Canada's social sector, an area often neglected in the business curricula despite the important role that these organizations play in Canada's economy. Invaluable for business programs that address issues such as community economic development, co-operatives, and nonprofit studies and management, Understanding the Social Economy presents a unique set of case studies as well as chapters on organizational design and governance, social finance and social accounting, and accountability. The examples provide much needed context for students and allow for an original and in-depth examination of the relationships between Canada's social infrastructure and the public and private sectors. With this work, Quarter, Mook, and Armstrong illuminate a neglected facet of business studies to further our understanding of the Canadian economy.

In this volume, contributors representing an inter-regional and international network of scholars and community organizations analyse how the social economy, in its many manifestations, interacts with and shares characteristics of organizations in the other sectors of the economy. The first study of its kind, Researching the Social Economy enriches our understanding of how this important cluster of organizations contributes to Canadian society in both economic and social terms, and lays the groundwork for future study. Laurie Mook is an assistant professor in the School of Community Resources and Development at the University of Arizona. Jack Quarter is a professor and co-director of the Social Economy Centre at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto. Sherida Ryan is the co-ordinator of the Community University Research Alliance on Social Business for Marginalized Social Groups at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto.

The unique historical, economic, and social features of the Canadian North pose special challenges for the social economy – a sector that includes nonprofits, co-operatives, social enterprises, and community economic development organizations. Northern Communities Working Together highlights the innovative ways in which Northerners are using the social economy to meet their economic, social, and cultural challenges while increasing local control and capabilities. The contributors focus on the special challenges of the North and their impact on the scope of the social economy, including analyses of land claim organizations, hunter support programs, and Indigenous conceptions of the social economy. A welcome resource for scholars and policy-makers studying any aspect of the Canadian North, Northern Communities Working Together is a major contribution to the literature on the social economy in Canada.