What is Social & Cultural Entrepreneurship?
Definitions:
According to different scholars the definition that binds this concept is fluid in the manner that there isn't just one answer to this question. In previous readings for this class so far, many definitions have emerged, but I will only draw upon the ones that I think fit to answer this question.
First, I will begin with my definition of Social Entrepreneurship. From the readings, I've compiled my own definition of Social Entrepreneurship based on the readings in class so far. From what I've read my definition of social entrepreneurship is: a group of people or an organization that are driven to create "change" come together to find alternative ways to solve the major world problems that affect the world today. These problems include poverty, hunger, sexual assault, gender inequality, etc. I used quotations with the word "change" because "change" is arbitrary and depends on the person who wants to create the change. Change is also measurable in different ways and it isn't completely the same across the board. For some change is in the little things in life such as creating a foundation for those suffering from cancer to starting a lemonade stand that focuses on helping out a family pet in need of surgery.
Although that is my personal view point on social entrepreneurship, some authors go more in depth to describe similar perceptions of social entrepreneurs & social entrepreneurship. According to Anders Lundstrom & Chunyan Zhou, social entrepreneurship is "an entrepreneurial process initiated by social entrepreneurs with social goals/missions in pursuit of social value creation" (Lundstrom & Zhou 4). At face level, this definition is packed by so many different attributes and elements. First to unpack this definition, let me start with the idea of a social entrepreneur. According to Lundstrom & Zhou a social entrepreneur in their situation is a body of people that "tackle problems such as poverty and disparities in health and education; their work acquire social and moral values" (Lundstrom & Zhou 4). Under this definition, both Lunstrom & Zhou begin to explain that social entrepreneurs are driven by change and the desire to create change. This can be presented as a person starting a lemonade stand to raise money for Haiti or even as large as a non-profit created to give eyeglasses to those who cannot afford it. Delving into the definition Lundstrom & Zhou draw upon the idea of people fighting for a cause and continue on to claim that not only are these social entrepreneurs driven by a strong moral obligation, but they are also driven to create "social value". This term "social value" is important to this definition in the fact that it points to the larger cause at hand and what the social entrepreneurs are aiming to do, which is to create change in the world by creating a new value/regulation that would help to better the world.
The second definition derived from the reading is similar to the 2nd definitions but focuses on another aspect of social enterpreneurship, the "social enterprise." According to Carl Frankel and Allen Bromberger, the 2nd definition of social entrepreneurship focuses on "social enterprise" in which "social enterprise is an organization formed by one or more people whose commercial activities are primarily driven by the desire to create economically sustainable positive social change, and who are increasingly (though not necessarily) likely to identify themselves as part of a growing social movement. (Frankel & Bromberger 21). In this definition, the authors draw upon the key aspects of social entrepreneurship, but focus on calling the act of what is happening as "social enterprise". In this definition Frankel and Bromberger focus more on the idea of why people participate in social entrepreneurship. To Frankel and Bromberger there are multiple reasons why people entertain the idea of "social enterprise". Social entrepreneurs that entertain the idea of social enterprise because it "speaks to a deep human longing" (Frankel & Bromberger 5). From this idea stems the fact that people see suffering in the world and want to step up to do something about it because it hurts them. There's an emotional heartstring that affects all of us when someone we don't know is suffering from the lack of the necessities that people more priveledged have access to. In that aspect, our true alturism is selfish in the manner of making ourselves feel better after knowing that we helped others.
A third definition comes from a woman who worked as an integrator. To this woman, Kathia C. Laszlo, social entrepreneurs were "individuals committed to create social enterprises (for-profit, non-profit or a combination) that combines best business practices with values-based leadership, and with a commitment to the triple bottom line (people,planet and profit) or some other expanded metric for socio-ecological value and corporate responsibility" (Laszlo "From Social to Cultural Entrepreneurship). Once again this definition is packed with so many elements. From the definition from Laszlo, the reader can assume at this point that the individuals that are creating social enterprises are using the tools that they have to create a better business plan in order to fulfill the values and change that said person/organization wants to see on the earth. While doing this work, Laszlo pulls upon the idea of how individuals proceed with this idea of saving the world by creating a more "systemic" mode of attack. Laszlo draws upon this idea to talk about how cultural entrepreneurship plays into the role of social entrepreneurship. According to Laszlo, cultural entrepreneurship "disrupts beliefs systems...and recognize the complexity of systemic global problems...cultural entrepreneurs are more interested in addressing the paradigmatic changes that need to occur to reinvent society"(Laszlo "From Social to Cultural Entrepreneurship"). This further evolution of social entrepreneurship is interesting in the fact that it draws upon the need for society to change its thinking versus just changing the behavior. In this definition Laszlo focuses on the need to change society and change the methods of thinking rather than only changing what we do for people suffering in the world.
Definitions:
According to different scholars the definition that binds this concept is fluid in the manner that there isn't just one answer to this question. In previous readings for this class so far, many definitions have emerged, but I will only draw upon the ones that I think fit to answer this question.
First, I will begin with my definition of Social Entrepreneurship. From the readings, I've compiled my own definition of Social Entrepreneurship based on the readings in class so far. From what I've read my definition of social entrepreneurship is: a group of people or an organization that are driven to create "change" come together to find alternative ways to solve the major world problems that affect the world today. These problems include poverty, hunger, sexual assault, gender inequality, etc. I used quotations with the word "change" because "change" is arbitrary and depends on the person who wants to create the change. Change is also measurable in different ways and it isn't completely the same across the board. For some change is in the little things in life such as creating a foundation for those suffering from cancer to starting a lemonade stand that focuses on helping out a family pet in need of surgery.
Although that is my personal view point on social entrepreneurship, some authors go more in depth to describe similar perceptions of social entrepreneurs & social entrepreneurship. According to Anders Lundstrom & Chunyan Zhou, social entrepreneurship is "an entrepreneurial process initiated by social entrepreneurs with social goals/missions in pursuit of social value creation" (Lundstrom & Zhou 4). At face level, this definition is packed by so many different attributes and elements. First to unpack this definition, let me start with the idea of a social entrepreneur. According to Lundstrom & Zhou a social entrepreneur in their situation is a body of people that "tackle problems such as poverty and disparities in health and education; their work acquire social and moral values" (Lundstrom & Zhou 4). Under this definition, both Lunstrom & Zhou begin to explain that social entrepreneurs are driven by change and the desire to create change. This can be presented as a person starting a lemonade stand to raise money for Haiti or even as large as a non-profit created to give eyeglasses to those who cannot afford it. Delving into the definition Lundstrom & Zhou draw upon the idea of people fighting for a cause and continue on to claim that not only are these social entrepreneurs driven by a strong moral obligation, but they are also driven to create "social value". This term "social value" is important to this definition in the fact that it points to the larger cause at hand and what the social entrepreneurs are aiming to do, which is to create change in the world by creating a new value/regulation that would help to better the world.
The second definition derived from the reading is similar to the 2nd definitions but focuses on another aspect of social enterpreneurship, the "social enterprise." According to Carl Frankel and Allen Bromberger, the 2nd definition of social entrepreneurship focuses on "social enterprise" in which "social enterprise is an organization formed by one or more people whose commercial activities are primarily driven by the desire to create economically sustainable positive social change, and who are increasingly (though not necessarily) likely to identify themselves as part of a growing social movement. (Frankel & Bromberger 21). In this definition, the authors draw upon the key aspects of social entrepreneurship, but focus on calling the act of what is happening as "social enterprise". In this definition Frankel and Bromberger focus more on the idea of why people participate in social entrepreneurship. To Frankel and Bromberger there are multiple reasons why people entertain the idea of "social enterprise". Social entrepreneurs that entertain the idea of social enterprise because it "speaks to a deep human longing" (Frankel & Bromberger 5). From this idea stems the fact that people see suffering in the world and want to step up to do something about it because it hurts them. There's an emotional heartstring that affects all of us when someone we don't know is suffering from the lack of the necessities that people more priveledged have access to. In that aspect, our true alturism is selfish in the manner of making ourselves feel better after knowing that we helped others.
A third definition comes from a woman who worked as an integrator. To this woman, Kathia C. Laszlo, social entrepreneurs were "individuals committed to create social enterprises (for-profit, non-profit or a combination) that combines best business practices with values-based leadership, and with a commitment to the triple bottom line (people,planet and profit) or some other expanded metric for socio-ecological value and corporate responsibility" (Laszlo "From Social to Cultural Entrepreneurship). Once again this definition is packed with so many elements. From the definition from Laszlo, the reader can assume at this point that the individuals that are creating social enterprises are using the tools that they have to create a better business plan in order to fulfill the values and change that said person/organization wants to see on the earth. While doing this work, Laszlo pulls upon the idea of how individuals proceed with this idea of saving the world by creating a more "systemic" mode of attack. Laszlo draws upon this idea to talk about how cultural entrepreneurship plays into the role of social entrepreneurship. According to Laszlo, cultural entrepreneurship "disrupts beliefs systems...and recognize the complexity of systemic global problems...cultural entrepreneurs are more interested in addressing the paradigmatic changes that need to occur to reinvent society"(Laszlo "From Social to Cultural Entrepreneurship"). This further evolution of social entrepreneurship is interesting in the fact that it draws upon the need for society to change its thinking versus just changing the behavior. In this definition Laszlo focuses on the need to change society and change the methods of thinking rather than only changing what we do for people suffering in the world.