Social economy

Our research interrogates the role of inclusive and democratic business models and the wider social economy in shaping more equitable and democratic forms of economic organisation.

We engage critically with the social economy both as a sector—encompassing value-driven organisations such as co-operatives, mutuals, voluntary associations, and social enterprises—and as a conceptual framework that reimagines the economy as a relational and socially embedded system.

We adopt a critical, interdisciplinary approach to explore the conditions under which socially oriented organisations can challenge dominant market logics and contribute to more inclusive and democratic forms of economic development.

Our work pays particular attention to how policy agendas (such as Community Wealth Building) are mobilised and enacted—often in contested ways—across different institutional and geographical contexts.

We work closely with a range of stakeholders, including policy actors, practitioners, and sector intermediaries, acting both as collaborators and critical friends in the co-production of knowledge that can inform policy and practice across the social economy.

Our methodological approach is grounded in constructivist epistemology, enabling us to navigate the complexity of multi-level systems and the lived realities of actors within them. We have expertise in qualitative and participatory methods, including ethnography and digital ethnography; in-depth interviews and oral histories; participant observation.

These methods allow us to surface the mechanisms and contexts that shape outcomes, and to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of social economy practices as part of broader processes of economic transformation.