This article, synthesis of a research presented as doctoral thesis, discusses the senses produced about the cooperativism taken from observations and the descriptions from workers about their living experiences on work relations present in their cooperatives and tries to build a psychosocial critic concerning manpower cooperatives. It is based on observations, informal talks and 14 semi-structured interviews with cooperators from various cooperatives. The most important elements of differentiation in the interviews are: different ways of participation in different cooperatives; cooperative management and work management relationship. It concludes that the sense of cooperativism from the industrial and popular cooperatives that were studied is marked by self-management dilemmas, while, at manpower cooperatives, it is marked by precarious conditions of work in relation to the traditional employment contract.
social psychology; cooperativism; sensemaking; work relations; self-management; solidarity economy