The dignity of work and the social economy in Portugal

Abstract

The article aims to provide a sociological analysis of how the social economy in Portugal structures labor relations. Defining itself as an economy centered on people and not on capital, the social economy claims an active role in the search for social justice and decent work for all and in its contribution to the democratization of the economy. However, the enormous diversity of forms through which it presents itself requires a more detailed analysis of the labor relations within each of these forms and particular attention to the diversity of the contexts in which they developed. For pragmatic reasons, the analysis focuses only on Social Economy organizations and not on those of the social and solidarity economy since there is a lot of information regarding those, and they represent a very relevant sector in Portuguese society due to their function, capacity for employment, and dynamism. The methodology combines information from qualitative studies with results from surveys carried out in organizations. The conclusion reveals the existence of a set of difficulties in recognizing equal dignity to the work of members and wage earners: on the one hand, due to a double process of adverse inclusion of organizations in the market economy and its institutionalization through state policies; on the other hand, due to excessive and unworthy use of salaried work in carrying out the tasks of organizations, without any participation or incentive in their management.