Social Economy in Middle East - Palestinian Case Study

Ayesha NAZIR

Master's thesis

Abstract:

The growing popularity of social enterprises for addressing social issues around the world has captured the imagination of development and social policy practitioners. The social enterprises play an integral role in tackling socioeconomic problems in Palestine and with mounting economic, social and political crisis the importance and need for social enterprise activity is increasing. However, the social enterprise system is still at an embryonic stage due to lack of one common understanding of definitions, frameworks and guidelines and unavailability of research instruments to further empirical study. In order to tackle these problems and to fill the literature gap, this study explores conceptualization of social economy in historical perspective, modern movement of emerging social enterprises around the world, mapping of social enterprises in Palestine and designing a standard framework and questionnaire for analyzing social enterprise models taking Palestine as a case study. Finally, the study proposes how the developed framework and research instrument can be utilized to analyze social enterprise models for expansion and strengthening of social enterprise practices in Palestine.

Abstract:

The growing popularity of social enterprises for addressing social issues around the world has captured the imagination of development and social policy practitioners. The social enterprises play an integral role in tackling socioeconomic problems in Palestine and with mounting economic, social and political crisis the importance and need for social enterprise activity is increasing. However, the social enterprise system is still at an embryonic stage due to lack of one common understanding of definitions, frameworks and guidelines and unavailability of research instruments to further empirical study. In order to tackle these problems and to fill the literature gap, this study explores conceptualization of social economy in historical perspective, modern movement of emerging social enterprises around the world, mapping of social enterprises in Palestine and designing a standard framework and questionnaire for analyzing social enterprise models taking Palestine as a case study. Finally, the study proposes how the developed framework and research instrument can be utilized to analyze social enterprise models for expansion and strengthening of social enterprise practices in Palestine.

Keywords

Social economy, social enterprise, business model framework, questionnaire, Palestine

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 31. 5. 2019

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: prof. Maria Sassi

Palacký University Olomouc

Faculty of Science

Master programme / field:
Geography / International Development Studies