Mutual Organizations, Mutual Societies

Edith Archambault ()
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Edith Archambault: CES - Centre d'économie de la Sorbonne - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

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Abstract: According to a very broad definition of the European Commission, mutual organizations/ societies "are voluntary groups of persons (natural or legal) whose purpose is primarily to meet the needs of their members rather than achieve a return on investment." This broad definition includes self-help groups, friendly societies, cooperatives, mutual insurance companies, mutual benefit societies, credit unions, building societies, savings and loans associations, microcredit, burial associations, Freemasons.. . (European Commission 2003). Hereafter, it is a more restricted definition that is used, relying on principles shared by most mutuals in Europe, the region where they are the most widespread. However, some international examples put European mutual societies in perspective. The core organizations examined here will be mutual insurance companies and mutual benefit societies. In that sense, mutual societies are insurance companies run by their members for protecting them against property, personal and social risks on a voluntary and noncompulsory basis. Mutual insurance companies deal with property and life risks while mutual benefit societies protect their members against social risks, mainly illness, disability, and old age.

Date: 2021
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hme and nep-mfd
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Published in International Encyclopédia of Civil Societies, 2nd edition, 2021, pp.1 - 9. ⟨10.1007/978-3-319-99675-2_50-1⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-03633911

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-99675-2_50-1

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