The term ‘social enterprise’ has been widely popularised in the last decade, and is often considered a recent invention, but in fact was already in use over one hundred and thirty years ago.The ‘American Socialist’ (a newspaper produced by the Owenite Oneida community) carried an article about leadership on March 15th 1877, which points out:
…should one wish to destroy a social enterprise, it could not be done more effectually than by aiding it in the appointment of a leader unfit for office.
‘Definitions grow as the horizon of experience expands’
Attempts to define such terms have always proved challenging.George Jacob Holyoake, veteran historian of the co-operative movement, considered various definitions of ‘co-operation’, and concluded with a definition that he felt was most useful:
The main principle of Co-operation is that in all new enterprises, whether of trades or manufacture, the profits shall be distributed in equitable proportions among all engaged in creating it, both producers and customers.
But then with considerable wisdom, he remarks:
Definitions grow as the horizon of experience expands. They are not inventions, but descriptions of the state of a question.[1]
Useful advice for those concerned nowadays to ‘nail down’ a definition of social enterprise or community enterprise.
[1] George Jacob Holyoake History of Co-operation 1875, rev 1905, chapter 20.
