A special supplement of Canadian Public Policy, Canada’s foremost journal examining economic and social policy, highlights some of the key policy research produced by the Canadian Social Economy Research Partnerships (CSERP) that was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) from 2005-2011.
The special issue brings together some of the leading academic voices on the Canadian social economy including: Yves Vaillancourt, Jan Myers, Martha MacDonald, JJ McMurtry, Lou Hammond Ketilson, Monica Adeler, Deborah A. Schrader, Michael Prince, to explore ways in which partnerships between government and social economy organziations and actors can strengthen communities, specifically based on the experiences and research coming out of the Canadian Social Economy Research Partnerships (CSERP).
The social economy has significantly contributed to strengthening Canadian society by contesting the primacy of the private sector to control the market and the paternalism of the state in providing different social services as well as supporting the conditions for the private sector to thrive. The social economy has developed and evolved as a result of public policies that reflect partnerships between government, individuals and socially oriented organizations. Specific policies have reflected innovations in financing (e.g. credit unions), sector specific initiatives (e.g. non-market housing), and procurement practices (e.g. “fair trade” goods), just to name a few.
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CCEDNet Executive Director, Michael Toye co-edited this special edition along with Jorge Sousa. The Canadian CED Network was the national community partner in the Canadian Social Economy Hub, working with the University of Victoria to make research coming out of the regional research centres more accessible and useful to policy makers, social economy practitioners, and people in communities as well as for academic engagement. For more information on CSERP visit: http://socialeconomyhub.ca/.
For more information on public policy and the social economy, see also the free e-book Canadian Public Policy and the Social Economy, edited by Rupert Downing.
