Infrastructural Cooperatives
The project is focussed on cooperatives which offer services for their members in the field of infrastructural services which are often but not necessarily offed by local administration. The project will give a comprehensive documentation of existing activities and analyse the economic and social circumstances which are relevant for such activities and their success. Within the project an interactive internet platform will be establishes in order to communicate with the stakeholders of cooperatives. Another focus of the project is the analysis of the legal and economic obstacles, which make it difficult to start cooperatives.
Thematic Reference to Social Cohesion
Cooperatives are characterized by intensive social contacts within the members, but they also can give important impulses for social coherence in general. The social spill over effects of cooperatives can be used by the local government in order to open new field for participation of citizens.
The aim of the project is to find out the relevant requirements for these forms of participation. In order to learn more about this, interviews and long term observations of specific innovative projects are planned. The obvervations will be documented on a platform in order to give more information to stakeholders about good practices and failures.
Team
Principle investigator: Winfried Kluth
Project member: Alena Marie Rathke
Duration
06/2020 – 05/2024