Come learn about co-ops and the movement for a democratic economy, with a focus on how we can apply the lessons of history within Cosmos. We’ll be studying a variety of texts and other resources; occasionally inviting guest speakers; and generally attempting to fulfill our commitment to Principle #5 of the 7 Cooperative Principles.
This group is open to all members of Cosmos… AND anyone else who is co-op curious. Please register below.
This Session
Cooperative Economics
Cooperative economics refers to an economic approach that emerged in response to the negative social consequences and impoverishment associated with the growth of liberal markets required for capitalism. Cooperatives are framed as a counter-movement, embodying core values such as trust, camaraderie, mutual aid, democracy, openness, inclusion, and a desire to minimize the influence of capital returns on organizational decision-making. This economic model challenges the premises of mainstream economic theories, particularly competitive economics, which relies on concepts like the Prisoner’s Dilemma and assumes non-cooperation as a norm. Cooperative economics draws from interdisciplinary fields such as heterodox economics, political economy, economic sociology, anthropology, and psychology. It emphasizes that norms play a central role in shaping preferences, in contrast to competitive economics, which assumes preferences are externally given. The cooperative economic approach considers both morality-based rationality and cost-benefit analysis as generators of preferences, acknowledging the importance of both in understanding human behavior.
Cooperative businesses exist in a wide variety of sectors within the U.S. economy and represent a distinctive model for organizing labor, capital, and knowledge to produce goods and services. Fundamentally, a cooperative is a unique form of business ownership where users or patrons, rather than investors, are the business owners. Cooperatives are an important but often overlooked part of the U.S. economy. They provide services in many sectors, including finance, utilities, health care, housing, agriculture, and retail.
Suggested Readings:
Kimberly Zeuli and Robert Cropp. Cooperatives: Principles and Practices in the 21st Century. Fourth revision of Marvin A. Shaars, Cooperatives Principles and Practices. Madison: University of Wisconsin Extension. Publication A1457, 1980. Chapters 1 & 4. (Ch.1 pp1-4, Ch.2 pp.5-9, Ch.4 pp27-38 & 43-46)
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0145/8808/4272/files/A1457.pdf
Roderick Hill. “The Case of the Missing Organizations: Co-operatives and the Textbooks.” The Journal of Economic Education V 31, N 3 (2000; pp.286-293)
Ethan Miller et al. “Other Economies Are Possible.” In Dollars and Sense, Grassroots Economic Organizing Special Edition, July/August, 2006.
https://www.dollarsandsense.org/archives/2006/0706emiller.html
Marjorie Kelly, “The Economy: Under New Ownership. How cooperatives are leading the way to empowered workers and healthy communities.” Spring, 2013, Yes! Magazine
Registration
Registrations are closed for this event.