Social and solidarity economy approaches: a brief conceptual analysis

Marthe Nyssens and Marie J. Bouchard

Chapter 2 in A Modern Guide to the Social and Solidarity Economy, 2026, pp 22-44 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter considers five approaches to understanding organisations distinct from both the private capitalist and public sectors, possessing coherent organisational forms, norms, and values, namely: the non-profit sector, social economy, solidarity economy, popularity and solidarity economy, and social enterprise. It describes the historical roots of each approach, the institutional context of its emergence, and its analytical potential to shed light on the dynamics of the social and solidarity economy (SSE). It underlines the common traits and differences of these approaches, notably their capacity to question and transform the dominant regime as well as the issues and debates they raise. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the complementarity of approaches but also the blurred boundaries and risks of isomorphism within the field of the SSE. Central to this reflection is the SSE's potential to transform society and the economy, and on the role of citizen democracy within it.

Keywords: Conceptual Underpinnings; Non-profit Sector; Social Economy; Solidarity Economy; Popular and Solidarity Economy; Social Enterprise (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035310890
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