Aboriginal research at the Centre for the Study of Co-operatives
Co-operatives are important alternative models for business development and
service delivery in many places across Canada, particularly low-income, rural,
remote, and underserviced communities. In many cases this includes Aboriginal
communities. The centre’s research documents the co-operative model and its role
in Aboriginal communities and investigates how co-operative models and structures
relate to Aboriginal cultures and values.
A co-operative is defined by the International Co-operative Alliance as “an
autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic,
social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise.”
Important research issues in Aboriginal communities include the connections between co-operatives and self-governance
as well as the meaning and significance of autonomy and voluntarism, particularly in a reserve context. Research is not about
“applying” a non-Aboriginal model to Aboriginal circumstances, but about reassessing the model in light of Aboriginal
understandings to determine which elements are culturally dependent and may be adapted. An outcome of research in
this area may be to change the general understanding of what a co-operative is and what it does. For information about other
Aboriginal research at the University of Saskatchewan, see the webpage describing the
Aboriginal Research Gallery.
Linking, Learning,
Leveraging: Social Enterprises, Knowledgeable Economies and Sustainable Communities
Directed by Lou Hammond Ketilson, "Linking, Learning, Leveraging"
is a substantial five-year, multi-partner research grant from the Social Sciences
and Humanities Research Council. In partnership with the Community-University
Institute for Social Research, Lou leads a team investigating how social economy
enterprises help build more respectful relationships within communities, with
the environment, and among stakeholders. See the project summary.
Small Farmers
Adapting to Global Markets Project: Farmers’ Association Development
Strategy and Training Program (working title: The China Project)
"The China Project" is directed by Murray Fulton.
Co-operative Membership
and Globalization: Creating Social Cohesion through Market Relations
Directed by Brett Fairbairn, "Co-operative Membership
and Globalization" is a substantial three-year research grant
from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Strategic
Themes program. The project explores the extent to which co-operatives
reflect or contribute to social cohesion or a common sense of identity
in the communities where they are located. The grant is coordinated
through the Centre and includes 15 academic co-investigators and
more than 20 community partners.
National
Co-op Research Inventory project
A national joint project of the Co-operatives Secretariat,
the Centre for the Study of Co-operatives, Centre Interdisciplinaire
de Recherche et d'Information sur les Enterprises Collectives (CIRIEC-Canada)
and Centre de recherche sur les innovations sociales (CRISES) and
the British Columbia Institute for Co-operative Studies.
Co-ordinated by Carol Shepstone at the Centre, the first stage of the project is a compilation of bibliographies and analyses that provide an overview of ALL literature in the English or French language deemed relevant to co-operatives in Canada. Special attention was paid to themes identified as being of interest to the Co-operative Development Initiative of the Government of Canada. The focus is on literature about co-operatives in developed countries, so developing countries are not emphasized. This should provide a useful tool and starting point for all kinds of co-op research!
Co-operatives in Transition
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada funded
project
Co-operative Research
Inventory Project
A national joint project of the Co-operatives Secretariat,
the Centre for the Study of Co-operatives, Centre Interdisciplinaire de
Recherche et d'Information sur les Enterprises Collectives (CIRIEC-Canada)
and Centre de recherche sur les innovations sociales (CRISES) and the
British Columbia Institute for Co-operative Studies.
Overview of English-Language Literature
English-Language Bibliography
Economic and Social Importance
of the Co-operative Sector in Saskatchewan
1998 report based on 1996
data.
An Economic Impact Analysis of the Co-operative Sector in Saskatchewan: Update 1998
2001 update to above report based on 1998 data.
Working Together: The Role of External Agents in the Development of Agriculture-Based Industries
New Generation Co-operatives: Opportunities in Agricultural Processing
New Generation Co-operatives Pilot Project