Performances of Solidarity Worker Cooperatives: Evidences from Argentina
(2021) International Cooperative Alliance Cooperative Research Conference- Abstract
- Since its origins in the 19th century, the SSE has instantiated a strong focus on the practice of solidarity alongside other political claims, thus supporting the idea that ‘another world is possible’, and economic transformation should accompany shifts in social relations (Laville and Salmon, 2014). However, despite its transformative poten-tial, solidarity has been the ‘silent S’ in the SSE, in both theoretical and in practical ac-counts. Echoing earlier engagements with the potentialities of the transformative implications of solidarity initiatives (Certeau, 1984; Daskalaki et al., 2015), I focus on the collective capacity of alternative economies to enact various performances of political solidarity as a fundamental characteristic of... (More)
- Since its origins in the 19th century, the SSE has instantiated a strong focus on the practice of solidarity alongside other political claims, thus supporting the idea that ‘another world is possible’, and economic transformation should accompany shifts in social relations (Laville and Salmon, 2014). However, despite its transformative poten-tial, solidarity has been the ‘silent S’ in the SSE, in both theoretical and in practical ac-counts. Echoing earlier engagements with the potentialities of the transformative implications of solidarity initiatives (Certeau, 1984; Daskalaki et al., 2015), I focus on the collective capacity of alternative economies to enact various performances of political solidarity as a fundamental characteristic of cooperative identity, which could potentially lead to the transformation of institutional arrangements and, hence, effect social change (Daskalaki et al., 2015). In contrast to social solidarity and civic solidarity, political solidarity aims to bring about social change by inspiring civic activism against injustice and oppression (Scholz, 2008).
In particular, I analyze a worker cooperative in Argentina, and findings present-ed here derive from research undertaken between 2015 and 2017 following an ethno-graphic approach. Previous work has suggested that cooperatives are ‘experimental sites’ where individuals can explore alternative management practices that may trigger a socio-economic transformation (Meira, 2014; Vieta, 2014: 784; Esper et al., 2017). Cooperative work is a radically different way of understanding labour relationships, in which non-hierarchical organization and collectivism predominate (Kokkinidis, 2015). ‘Collective and self-managed forms of work have given [workers] a sense of autonomy and control over the labour process’ difficult to find in other type of business (Cumbers et al., 2018:13). Crucially, worker cooperatives not only provide access to employment for those excluded from capitalist markets, but also challenge the prevailing hegemonic forms of economic exchange, and constitute spaces where values of self-management, democratic decision-making and solidarity can be performed (Zanoni et al. 2017; Scott Cato et al., 2007; Novkovic, 2008; Gibson-Graham, 2008).
Linking worker cooperatives with work on social change (Scott Cato et al., 2007; Atzeni, 2009; Rugeri and Vieta, 2014; Daskalaki et al., 2015; Kokkinidis, 2015), I explore performances of political solidarity, and its role in re-organizing post-capitalist socio-economic relations. I argue that political solidarity is performative in that it ena-bles disparate social entities to come together and constitute practices and values collec-tively that challenge and resist hegemonic social forces. The performative qualities of political solidarity are acquired through infinite successful repetition of tiny actions that take place within a pre-existing set of meanings (Butler, 1990). We understand per-formativity, therefore, as the materialization of meanings and practices embedded in power relations (Muellerleile, 2013), which seeks to have an emancipatory effect on or-ganising practices (Alvesson and Spicer 2012). These practices are different in nature (purpose and time scale), as some involved either individuals or collectives, and pursue present or future goals (Hussenot and Missonier, 2016). Whereas some are grounded on building solidarity relations within cooperatives, others ‘challenge existing matrices of power and socio-political horizon’ (Dinerstein, 2015: 2).
Based on the study of a worker cooperatives, this article focuses on trans-organisational performances of solidarity, and provides a theorization of political soli-darity and its role in mobilizing resistance to capitalist appropriation. The perspective is part of the broader debate of the re-socialization of economic relations and the viability and social transformation towards another economy (Gibson-Graham, 2006). In Argen-tina, cooperatives re-emerged during the socio-economic crisis that hit the country in 2001. Although some of these counter-hegemonic actions turned out to be transitory and lacking in resilience (North and Huber, 2004), others combined elements of a de-fense of jobs with a political demand for autonomy (Dinerstein, 2007). This combina-tion of the economic and political elements explains the ongoing success of worker co-operatives (Ruggeri and Vieta, 2015). In addition, Argentinian co-operatives establish tran-organizational performances of solidarity, which provides the arrangements for scaling solidarity across and inspiring and mobilizing others to experiment with alterna-tive ways of organising economic actions (Daskalaki and Kokkinidis, 2017).
Therefore, I propose that it is through trans-organizational performance of soli-darity that SSIs enact resistance against the market rationale, re-appropriate control over their production and economic and socio-productive relations, reinforcing cooperative identity and contributing to the transformation of society. Individuals, in their attempt to explore alternative forms of organising social and economic relations, create new mate-rial conditions, and consolidate and diffuse alternative organizational practices. These ‘laboratories’ for social innovation help to expand and make more visible alternative forms of organisation and constitute larger and more democratic institutions and mod-els. This is the core of the social transformation triggered by SSIs: related to the mobili-zation of alternative organisations grounded on co-production, cooperatives can reas-semble the social dimension and re-configure new inter-subjectivities according to their own values and objectives. Different practices of solidarity allow them to co-produce material and symbolic resources and to enact collective alternative imaginaries. (Less)
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- author
- Raffaelli, Paola LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2021
- type
- Contribution to conference
- publication status
- published
- subject
- conference name
- International Cooperative Alliance Cooperative Research Conference
- conference location
- Seoul, Korea, Republic of
- conference dates
- 2021-11-27 - 2021-11-30
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 6f92fd2b-b000-49d7-888d-4bf65e4d9785
- date added to LUP
- 2022-05-16 16:01:28
- date last changed
- 2025-04-04 15:20:47
@misc{6f92fd2b-b000-49d7-888d-4bf65e4d9785,
abstract = {{Since its origins in the 19th century, the SSE has instantiated a strong focus on the practice of solidarity alongside other political claims, thus supporting the idea that ‘another world is possible’, and economic transformation should accompany shifts in social relations (Laville and Salmon, 2014). However, despite its transformative poten-tial, solidarity has been the ‘silent S’ in the SSE, in both theoretical and in practical ac-counts. Echoing earlier engagements with the potentialities of the transformative implications of solidarity initiatives (Certeau, 1984; Daskalaki et al., 2015), I focus on the collective capacity of alternative economies to enact various performances of political solidarity as a fundamental characteristic of cooperative identity, which could potentially lead to the transformation of institutional arrangements and, hence, effect social change (Daskalaki et al., 2015). In contrast to social solidarity and civic solidarity, political solidarity aims to bring about social change by inspiring civic activism against injustice and oppression (Scholz, 2008).<br/>In particular, I analyze a worker cooperative in Argentina, and findings present-ed here derive from research undertaken between 2015 and 2017 following an ethno-graphic approach. Previous work has suggested that cooperatives are ‘experimental sites’ where individuals can explore alternative management practices that may trigger a socio-economic transformation (Meira, 2014; Vieta, 2014: 784; Esper et al., 2017). Cooperative work is a radically different way of understanding labour relationships, in which non-hierarchical organization and collectivism predominate (Kokkinidis, 2015). ‘Collective and self-managed forms of work have given [workers] a sense of autonomy and control over the labour process’ difficult to find in other type of business (Cumbers et al., 2018:13). Crucially, worker cooperatives not only provide access to employment for those excluded from capitalist markets, but also challenge the prevailing hegemonic forms of economic exchange, and constitute spaces where values of self-management, democratic decision-making and solidarity can be performed (Zanoni et al. 2017; Scott Cato et al., 2007; Novkovic, 2008; Gibson-Graham, 2008). <br/>Linking worker cooperatives with work on social change (Scott Cato et al., 2007; Atzeni, 2009; Rugeri and Vieta, 2014; Daskalaki et al., 2015; Kokkinidis, 2015), I explore performances of political solidarity, and its role in re-organizing post-capitalist socio-economic relations. I argue that political solidarity is performative in that it ena-bles disparate social entities to come together and constitute practices and values collec-tively that challenge and resist hegemonic social forces. The performative qualities of political solidarity are acquired through infinite successful repetition of tiny actions that take place within a pre-existing set of meanings (Butler, 1990). We understand per-formativity, therefore, as the materialization of meanings and practices embedded in power relations (Muellerleile, 2013), which seeks to have an emancipatory effect on or-ganising practices (Alvesson and Spicer 2012). These practices are different in nature (purpose and time scale), as some involved either individuals or collectives, and pursue present or future goals (Hussenot and Missonier, 2016). Whereas some are grounded on building solidarity relations within cooperatives, others ‘challenge existing matrices of power and socio-political horizon’ (Dinerstein, 2015: 2). <br/>Based on the study of a worker cooperatives, this article focuses on trans-organisational performances of solidarity, and provides a theorization of political soli-darity and its role in mobilizing resistance to capitalist appropriation. The perspective is part of the broader debate of the re-socialization of economic relations and the viability and social transformation towards another economy (Gibson-Graham, 2006). In Argen-tina, cooperatives re-emerged during the socio-economic crisis that hit the country in 2001. Although some of these counter-hegemonic actions turned out to be transitory and lacking in resilience (North and Huber, 2004), others combined elements of a de-fense of jobs with a political demand for autonomy (Dinerstein, 2007). This combina-tion of the economic and political elements explains the ongoing success of worker co-operatives (Ruggeri and Vieta, 2015). In addition, Argentinian co-operatives establish tran-organizational performances of solidarity, which provides the arrangements for scaling solidarity across and inspiring and mobilizing others to experiment with alterna-tive ways of organising economic actions (Daskalaki and Kokkinidis, 2017).<br/>Therefore, I propose that it is through trans-organizational performance of soli-darity that SSIs enact resistance against the market rationale, re-appropriate control over their production and economic and socio-productive relations, reinforcing cooperative identity and contributing to the transformation of society. Individuals, in their attempt to explore alternative forms of organising social and economic relations, create new mate-rial conditions, and consolidate and diffuse alternative organizational practices. These ‘laboratories’ for social innovation help to expand and make more visible alternative forms of organisation and constitute larger and more democratic institutions and mod-els. This is the core of the social transformation triggered by SSIs: related to the mobili-zation of alternative organisations grounded on co-production, cooperatives can reas-semble the social dimension and re-configure new inter-subjectivities according to their own values and objectives. Different practices of solidarity allow them to co-produce material and symbolic resources and to enact collective alternative imaginaries.}},
author = {{Raffaelli, Paola}},
language = {{eng}},
title = {{Performances of Solidarity Worker Cooperatives: Evidences from Argentina}},
year = {{2021}},
}