Socioecological Paradigm of the Cooperative Model

This project addresses the disorientation within cooperatives, which often adopt capitalist practices instead of adhering to their social and environmental mission, leading to inefficiency and an identity crisis. The core problem is the absence of a structured socio-ecological paradigm that unifies the principles of cooperative doctrine with the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE), especially under the pressure of globalized capitalism. The research aims to overcome the epistemological limitations of traditional cooperative doctrine, which is considered partial and disconnected from philosophical currents alternative to Western Eurocentrism. The methodological approach combines qualitative and quantitative research, including an exhaustive bibliographic analysis of alternative epistemologies such as the Epistemology of the South and the Ecological Paradigm (Deep Ecology). Theoretical findings will be contrasted through field research targeting cooperative leaders, specialists, and specific case studies of credit unions in Quito. The ultimate goal is to propose a robust theoretical framework that redefines cooperative identity, promoting sustainability, democratic participation, and social justice, thereby closing the gap between cooperative practice and its foundational ideological aims.<br/><br/><b>Goal</b>: <br/>To systematize and structure a socio-ecological paradigm aligned with cooperative doctrine and the principles of Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE), drawing from alternative and counter-hegemonic epistemologies against Western Eurocentrism.<br/><br/><b>Research lines</b>: <br/>Popular economy, popular finance and MSMEs