Somerville, Peter and McElwee, Gerard (2011) Situating community enterprise: a theoretical exploration. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development , 23 (5/6). pp. 317-330. ISSN 0898-5626

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Abstract

This paper argues that enterprises can be understood primarily in terms of their social bases and that the social base of community enterprise lies in community of some kind. It reviews current conceptualizations in this area such as 'community-based enterprise' (CBE) and 'social enterprise', and argues that CBE is only one form of community enterprise. Community entrepreneurs are understood in terms of their position on a continuum of community participation, as economic/social/political activists, and community enterprise is explained largely in terms of the balance of social capital functions served by its overall activity. The relationship between membership of a community enterprise and membership of a community is explored, and represented in terms of two criteria: the pool from which enterprise members are drawn and the rule by which such members are selected from the pool. This paper illustrates its arguments in relation to two English community enterprises, Coin Street Community Builders based in London and The Eldonians based in Liverpool

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	This paper argues that enterprises can be understood primarily in terms of their social bases and that the social base of community enterprise lies in community of some kind. It reviews current conceptualizations in this area such as 'community-based enterprise' (CBE) and 'social enterprise', and argues that CBE is only one form of community enterprise. Community entrepreneurs are understood in terms of their position on a continuum of community participation, as economic/social/political activists, and community enterprise is explained largely in terms of the balance of social capital functions served by its overall activity. The relationship between membership of a community enterprise and membership of a community is explored, and represented in terms of two criteria: the pool from which enterprise members are drawn and the rule by which such members are selected from the pool. This paper illustrates its arguments in relation to two English community enterprises, Coin Street Community Builders based in London and The Eldonians based in Liverpool
Keywords:	Community based enterprise, Social capital, social entrepreneurship, Infrastructure, Business enterprises, Social networks, Social movements, Communities Economic aspects
Subjects:	L Social studies > L360 Socio-economics L Social studies > L400 Social Policy
Divisions:	College of Social Sciences > Faculty of Health & Social Sciences > School of Social & Political Sciences
Depositing User:	Bev Jones
Date Deposited:	30 Nov 2011 11:54
Last Modified:	30 Nov 2011 11:54
URI:	http://eprints.lincoln.ac.uk/id/eprint/4818

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