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How the largest social movement in history is making the world a better place.
At the close of the twentieth century, corporate capitalism extended its reach over the globe. While its defenders argue that globalization is the only way forward for modern, democratic societies, the spread of this system is failing to meet even the most basic needs of billions of individuals around the world. Moreover, the entrenchment of this free market system is undermining the foundations of healthy societies, caring communities, and personal wellbeing.
Humanizing the Economy shows how co-operative models for economic and social development can create a more equitable, just, and humane future. With over 800 million members in 85 countries and a long history linking economic to social values, the co-operative movement is the most powerful grassroots movement in the world. Its future as an alternative to corporate capitalism is explored through a wide range of real-world examples including:
- Emilia Romagna's co-operative economy of in Northern Italy
- Argentina's recovered factory movement
- Japan's consumer and health co-operatives
Highlighting the hopes and struggles of everyday people seeking to make their world a better place, Humanizing the Economy is essential reading for anyone who cares about the reform of economics, globalization, and social justice.
John Restakis has been active in the co-op movement for 15 years. He is the Executive Director of the BC Co-operative Association and has been a consultant for co-op development projects in Africa and Asia. A pioneering researcher on co-operative economies, he writes and lectures on economic democracy and the role of co-operatives in humanizing economies.
John Restakis has been active in the co-op movement for 15 years. He is the Executive Director of the BC Co-operative Association and has been a consultant for co-op development projects in Africa and Asia. A pioneering researcher into international co-operative economies, he writes and lectures on economic democracy and the role of co-operatives in humanizing economies.
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. The Grand Delusion
Homo Economicus
Industrialization and Social Defence
2. The Materialization of Dreams
The Age of Revolt
Rochdale
A Brief History of Nowhere
Co-operativism and Socialism
Socializing Capital
Stages of Co-operation
3. Co-operation Italian Style
The Fascist Repression
Renaissance of the Italian Co-operatives
4. The Emilian Model and the Socialization of Capital
The Rise of Regions
The Emilian Model
5. Social Co-ops and Social Care
On Civil Society and the Social Economy
On Reciprocity
Social Co-operatives
The Case for a Co-op Approach to Social Care
Beyond Defensiveness
Creating a Social Market
6. Japan
Product Labeling and Advocacy
Workers' Collective Movement
Health and Happiness
Elder Care
7. The Daughters of Kali
Sonagachi
The Stories
A Terrible Reflection
8. Fair Trade and the Empire of Tea
Fair Trade and Co-operation
The Fair Trade Network
Tea
The Small Organic Farmers Association
Fair Trade on the Ground
The Seductions of Success
Beyond Commodities — Going Glocal
The Future of Fair Trade
Politics
9. Argentina: Occupy, Resist, Produce
New World, Old Habits
Occupy, Resist, Produce
Zanon
Co-op and Community
Brukman
An Awakening
The Road Ahead
10. The Crisis of Community
The Decline of Social Capital
The End of Authenticity
Shadowland
Reciprocity and Restoration
The Meaning of Work
11. Humanizing the Economy: Co-operatives in the Age of Capital
The Future of an Idea
Happiness Matters
Commons Sense
Japan's Fishing Co-operatives
Ozone
Globalizing Localism
Notes
Index
About the Author