Article
Towards A Solidarity Economy Approach to Community Economic Development
Howard Law Journal
(2019)
Abstract
This Article explores the theory and praxis of the solidarity economy movement as a new framework for community economic development (CED). Many CED scholars have critiqued the limitations of the current dominant approach of “market-based” CED and proposed new strategies for CED to more effectively address urban poverty. This article seeks to further that discourse by proposing a new approach and framework for CED, namely a solidarity economy approach. While an emerging body of solidarity economy (SE) literature has recently developed, not much if anything has been written about solidarity economy in the community economic development body of scholarship. This article ventures to chart a new course for community economic development (CED) based on the transformative possibilities of the solidarity economy framework. This new course is largely predicated on a critique of market-based CED and an analysis of several other CED approaches that may have certain transformative aspects but also significant limitations. The article engages multidimensional community economic development strategies that can be analyzed based upon 1) the power relationships of community residents, state, and business actors; 2) the agency of community residents in implementing the CED initiative; and 3) the incorporation of sustainable development principles. Ultimately, the article argues that solidarity economy is a fully transformational approach to CED and an important framework for effectively and sustainably addressing the root cause of inequality and poverty.
Keywords
- solidarity economy,
- community development,
- community economic development,
- economic development,
- local economies,
- local economic development,
- community organizing,
- cooperative development
Disciplines
Publication Date
Fall August 1, 2019
Citation Information
Renee Hatcher. "Towards A Solidarity Economy Approach to Community Economic Development" Howard Law Journal Vol. 63 Iss. 1 (2019) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/renee-hatcher/21/