Streams

The Social Economy

In the Social Economy stream, students examine a wide variety of business forms which share a common characteristic of being guided not primarily by profits but by a social purpose. While there are many different ways to define the social economy, this sector is generally understood to include co-operatives, non-profit businesses, not-for-profit firms, along with social enterprises and social entrepreneurs.

In examining these forms of business, students will focus not only on operations at the level of the firm, but also the relationships among such firms. Such relationships include traditional community economic development organizations, efforts to form co-operative groups, alternative and fair trade networks as well as alternative and endogenous development models.

Course Requirements

BA Requirements

• AP/SOSC 1341 9.0 Introduction to the Social Economy

Six credits from the following:

AP/GEOG 2105 3.0 Intro. to Economic Geography

AP/GEOG 3050 3.0 Nature, Power and Society

AP/GEOG 3130 3.0 The Global Economy

AP/GEOG 3770 3.0 Housing Policy

AP/GEOG 3800 3.0 Geographies at Work

AP/SOSC 3240 3.0 Labour and Globalization I

AP/SOSC 3241 3.0 Labour and Globalization II

ES/ENVS 3510 3.0 Environmental Economics

ES/ENVS 4510 3.0 Ecological Economics

• AP/SOSC 3041 6.00 Social Economy and Alternative Development.

Honours BA Requirements

In addition to the above, students must include six credits from:

AP/SOSC 4046 The Social Economy Practicum