This is the second edition of our interview series with Scientific Advisory Council (SAC) members, where we invite them to discuss their vision of the social economy in Europe, the role of education in progressing it, and of course their involvement in SE4Ces. For this edition, we talk with Professor Esra Edem.
Esra Erdem is Professor in Social Economics and Social Management at Alice Salomon University Berlin (associated partner). As a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of SE4Ces, she contributes to the project through her expertise in the research fields of Solidarity Economies and Commons, Political Economy, Critical University Studies and Urban Studies.
What convinced you to partake in SE4Ces?
When colleagues from the Community Economies Research Network (CERN) invited me to participate in the project, I was thrilled.
What renders SE4Ces unique for me is that it brings together academic and praxis expertise from across Europe, providing us with an opportunity to collaborate over a sustained period of time with the aim of contributing to the field of the social and solidarity economy.
The bulk of your research explores commons and community economies and various publications dive deep into a postcapitalist perspective. Where does your interest in these topics come from?
My interest in this field emerged during my postgraduate studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I had the chance to study with eminent scholars who specialized in various fields of Political Economy. I was particularly inspired by the vibrant intellectual community and theoretical debates around the journal Rethinking Marxism, which had been founded in Amherst and offered rich analyses on capitalism, class politics, and social transformation.
Julie Graham and Katherine Gibson (a.k.a. J. K. Gibson-Graham) were both key contributors to this research agenda. Their work on diverse economies was a theoretical milestone and immensely influential in opening the way for postcapitalist politics, using participatory action research to foster more equitable and sustainable livelihood strategies. Eventually, this led to the formation of the Community Economies Research Network and the founding of the Community Economies Institute.
There was (and is) a narrative that we would “rebuild back better” in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the climate change crisis. How do you assess the rebuilding so far? Is it going in the right direction?
Currently, we are witnessing an intensification of social, political, and economic struggles which are symptomatic of the multiple crises that we are facing. The challenges are daunting, and urgent and force us to critically rethink the ethical and material foundations on which our societies are built.
The pandemic has certainly been an eye-opener in terms of understanding the vital role of social reproduction. But this recognition has to go beyond the symbolic to incorporate structural changes that will make health care accessible for all and improve the working conditions of care workers, whether they work in hospitals, day-care centers, or from home.
At the political level, we can observe an encouraging new wave of social movements addressing social and environmental justice concerns. Initiatives for solidarity cities, caring cities, degrowth, commons, transition towns, and new municipalism, to name just a few, provide fertile grounds for envisioning and implementing new imaginaries.
In this regard, what role will the social and solidarity economy play in the coming years in your region?
I am truly amazed by the creativity and sectoral diversity of social and solidarity economies in Berlin and its neighboring region Brandenburg. According to Social Economy Berlin (SEB), the city is currently home to at least 8500 social businesses. In local economic policy, there is a growing awareness of the significance of social enterprises in areas ranging from health care to agriculture, to housing and sustainable energy. This results in improved funding opportunities and business services geared specifically to the needs of the social economy.
“It is important to convey to students a broader perspective that underlines the social and ecological embeddedness of the economy. The economic space consists of so much more than just markets, capitalist enterprises, and wage work”
…and what is the role of education in this picture?
I believe education can play a critical role in this regard. It is important to convey to students a broader perspective that underlines the social and ecological embeddedness of the economy. The economic space consists of so much more than just markets, capitalist enterprises, and wage work. Moreover, we need better measures than GDP to assess the wealth and well-being of individuals and communities.
Theoretical modules should ideally be complemented through opportunities for experiential learning (e.g. field trips, internships, applied research). These can be formative for students, as they allow them to see first-hand how social values can be incorporated into economic practice.
What contributions do you hope SE4Ces can make to education about the social economy? Or what changes do you hope it will bring?
I expect to see at least three contributions: First, SE4Ces is developing a state-of-the-art curriculum at the postgraduate level, which will improve access to educational materials in the field of the social and solidarity economy. Second, the project brings together a multidisciplinary international academic community, which would not have come about in the absence of this project. Third, the project is nurturing strong connections between academia, social enterprises, and other praxis organizations, which carry exciting potential for cooperation.
What do you think could be big barriers to the success of the project?
The biggest challenge probably concerns the sustainability of the project beyond the funding period. Putting into practice a Master’s programme will require a long-term institutional commitment and adequate funding on the part of higher education institutions in Europe.
Are you active in any other projects related to SE4Ces?
In recent years, I have been engaged in research on educational commons. There is growing discontent with the neo-liberalization of higher education worldwide. Academics and students are organizing to create alternative academic spaces where shared values such as academic freedom, democratic governance, collaborative knowledge production and public access to research and education can be nurtured. I think the spirit of participatory learning and knowledge sharing that characterizes the SE4Ces project fits in very well with these practices of academic commoning.
What are you working on right now and what excites you about it? Why should we know about it?
Michael Emru Tadesse (Free University of Bozen-Bolzano) and I have just co-authored an article on community finance in the Ethiopian diaspora. Based on an exploratory case study in Berlin, we analyse how structures of peer governance rooted in an ethics of mutual help can help decommodify financial relations and reduce financial exclusion. The article underlines the often neglected contributions of Black communities to the social and solidarity economies of Europe.
To wrap up the interview, a last message you would like to share?
Thank you for the invitation to this interview. I very much hope that students and practitioners in the field of the social and solidarity economy will find the SE4Ces project results useful and that this excellent work can be continued in a follow-up project!