Introducing Ecosol Study Group

COORDINATION: Michela Giovannini and Beatriz Caitana

ECOSOL-CES is a research group on Solidarity Economy which, since March 2008, brings together students and researchers associated with the Centre for Social Studies of the University of Coimbra (CES-UC) or other partner institutions, interested in advancing knowledge on different issues of Solidarity Economy, such as production, service or consumption cooperatives, work cooperatives, family agriculture groups, worker-recuperated enterprises, fair trade, solidarity markets with social currencies, among an infinity of other initiatives. ECOSOL-CES is part of the Research Group on Social Policy, Labour and Inequalities (POSTRADE) of the Centre for Social Studies.

This growing interest for Solidarity Economy has promoted relevant discussions about important issues such as the role of the State as a promoter of these initiatives, either on the relationship between the Solidarity Economy and the non-regulated market, or on the production and consumption organization challenges on a non-capitalist basis. In accordance with this agenda, ECOSOL-CES aims to create a research space able to: 1) stimulate the conceptual and methodological debate inside the university, based on a renewed critical theory; 2) dialogue with the solidarity enterprises for mutual learning; 3) organize seminars and workshops to debate and disseminate research outputs on Solidarity Economy.