Abstract
Solidarity economy was conceptualized simultaneously in South America and Europe over the last decades of the 20th century. That provides an opportunity for the co-elaboration of an analytical framework for empirical research in both continents, based on shared definitions of the economics and of the politics. Being incompatible with the orthodox approach, the solidarity economy claims for a substantive approach of the economics, referring to a relational vision of the man with his natural and social environment as the root of economy, and of the politics, as the democracy is linked to a deliberative paradigm that focuses on public spaces and the inter-subjectivity in the shaping of opinions and decisions. The emphasis placed on the substantives economy and democracy, which are seen as interdependent, has a part to play in a fight against the standardization supported by the neoliberal project. This text promotes an intercultural dialogue that fosters a transformative diversity.
Keywords
Solidarity economy; Substantive economy; Substantive democracy; Public spaces; Neoliberalism; Transformative diversity