This affinity group focuses on exploring, understanding and explaining the role of social and solidarity economy (SSE) organisations and social innovation (SI) initiatives in rural areas and regions. Active in a wide range of sectors, including care, sustainable agriculture, housing, social services, tourism, community infrastructure, renewable energy, and recycling, among others, these organisations and initiatives have historically played a key role in fostering an inclusive and integrated rural development and a more balanced regional development.
Key themes within this affinity group include (but are not limited to):
- The role of SSE and SI in rural and regional development;
- Geographically spatially sensitive research in the SSE and SI;
- Transdisciplinary research (including perspectives from sociology, geography, economics, political science, forestry, management, business, food systems, and agriculture) in SSE and SI from a rural and regional perspective;
- Co-creation of knowledge with stakeholders, especially with practitioners in the field, in SSE and SI in rural areas and regions;
- Development of applied research with potential solutions for practitioners and evidence-based research for policymakers providing rural and regional perspectives on SSE and SI;
- Development of studies on SSE and SI initiatives in specific sectors with special interest and potential for rural areas, including creative industries, circular economy, renewable energy, remote working, telemedicine, mobility, sustainable tourism and agriculture, social farming, youth services, eldercare, and community planning, among others;
- Development of studies on SSE and SI initiatives targeting specific groups within rural areas, including but not limited to women, youth, elders, and migrants;
- Study and synergies with rural networks in the social and solidarity economy and social innovation.
The group aims to develop the following activities:
- Specific panels in conferences, including but not limited to a panel within the bi-annual EMES International conferences;
- Collaborative writing, including articles and Special Issues in peer-reviewed journals;
- Collaborative proposals for project funding;
- Communication and dissemination of research studies (articles, reports, policy briefs, and other relevant materials)to the general public and to the policymakers;
- Sessions at transdisciplinary forums to engage with other stakeholders, especially practitioners and policymakers;
- Regular research seminars, mainly in the form of webinars, with topics of interest by group members.
The Group is led by EMES members Lucas Olmedo Osuna (University College Cork, Ireland), Marina Novikova (Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development, Germany), Mary O’Shaughnessy (University College Cork, Ireland) and Marta Solórzano (UNED, Spain).
If you are researching and teaching this topic and would like to join the group, please let us know via hello@emes.net.
*Note that participating actively in EMES Affinity groups is only offered to EMES members (keep the membership up to date).
