The Social Solidarity Economy of People of African Descent in Europe

This study explores the Social Solidarity Economy (SSE) of People of African Descent (PAD) in Europe. SSE is believed to contribute to sustainability transformation since it emphasizes social, economic, and environmental objectives (Elsen, 2018). This contribution is important especially when it comes to the social inclusion and empowerment of vulnerable communities like PAD. The SSE plays a crucial role in the lives of PAD. The SSE is where PAD find refuge and meet their economic and social needs. It is also where they actively contribute, through their SSE, to the economy and society (Hossein, 2017). However, the endeavors and contributions of PAD in the SSE have not been recognized and well documented (Hossein, 2018), especially in the context of Europe. The SSE literature has neglected informal organizations that are common among PAD (Hossein & Skerritt, 2018) and failed to sufficiently incorporate analyses and theories from PAD (Hossein, 2018, 2019). The purpose of this study is to examine the characteristics of the SSE organizations (SSEOs) of PAD in Europe and their contribution to the economy and society. The study has two major parts. The first part is based on a systematic scoping review of studies about SSEOs of PAD in the context of Europe. The review aims to examine the overall state of research in this domain and systematically map the evidence. In this case, 109 studies were reviewed. The second part is based on multiple case studies of SSEOs of PAD in the context of Italy. Here, the objective is to investigate the characteristics and contribution of such organizations vis-à-vis the concepts of eco-social innovation, sustainability transition, and social inclusion and empowerment. For the case study, data is collected from more than 19 SSEOs through semi-structured interviews and document analysis. The study also applies the theories of diverse economies and social solidarity economy to inform the research process.