Alternative Economic Practices, a view from grounded theory

Abstract

The social economy emerged in the 19th century from groups of workers who mobilized to generate other alternatives to work that counteracted the conditions of exploitation that they lived, from that moment a series of social mobilizations began to seek more dignified working conditions, The best-known expressions of these ventures are cooperatives or mutuals, however, there are other movements that ideologically adhere to the premises of the Social Economy or Alternative Economies, such as barter spaces and alternative markets or markets. A qualitative study was carried out in the city of Aguascalientes, Mexico, in two different spaces, one of them alternative markets and another dedicated specially to barter practices. Grounded theory was used as a research method. The central categories identified so far are: instrumentalization of labels, profile of who participates, space to spread ideology, indoctrination, alternative and feminism. It is observed that, unlike the studies usually reported in the literature, these spaces are mainly as an expression of an ideological adherence, where activism is a fundamental part of the practices.