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The DICES Project is hosting an online webinar presenting and discussing the findings of its report Conceptual Framework and Mapping of the Social Economy in Europe — unpacking what it means, why it matters, and what it tells us about the state of the social economy across Europe today.
The session is designed as an accessible entry point to the report, welcoming researchers, students, practitioners, policymakers, and anyone interested in social economy, care systems, and democratic governance in Europe.
About the report
The DICES report Conceptual Framework and Mapping of the Social Economy in Europe offers both a theoretical foundation and an empirical overview of the social economy across nine European countries (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Lithuania, and Norway). It develops an original conceptual framework articulating three core notions — social economy, social inclusion, and economic democracy — through the lens of care as a bridging concept, drawing on feminist political theory to illuminate how democratic economic practices can foster genuine social inclusion. A comparative mapping of national contexts then examines how legal frameworks, policy environments, and bottom-up initiatives shape the development of the social economy, and what drives or hinders its democratic and inclusive potential in practice.
This webinar brings the DICES report on Europe’s social economy to life — exploring how care, social inclusion, and economic democracy intersect in theory and across nine national contexts, and what this means in practice.
What to expect
The webinar opens with a conceptual framing block, introducing key notions from the report — social economy, social inclusion, economic democracy, and care as a bridging concept. The session then moves into the mapping findings, with a dedicated country spotlight on Belgium, illustrating how these concepts play out in a concrete national context. The webinar closes with an open Q&A.
Key themes
- Social economy as a driver of inclusive and democratic development
- Care as a bridging concept across economic, social, and feminist dimensions
- Economic democracy and participatory governance, from theory to practice
- Country mapping: variation, drivers, and barriers across Europe
- Policy-relevant insights and good practices
Speakers
- Andreas Exner, University of Graz, will present the conceptual framework
- Barbara Sak, International Centre of Research and Information on the Public, Social and Cooperative Economy (CIRIEC), and Nazik Beishenaly, KU Leuven, will present the Belgium country spotlight
- The session will be moderated by Markus Blümel, University of Graz
Register here! The agenda will follow soon.
