Abstract

DE SA, Jorge. Professional and Cooperative Education in Portugal. Cuad. Desarro. Rural [online]. 2010, vol.7, n.65, pp.147-171. ISSN 0122-1450.

Social economy, a concept that covers cooperatives, mutual companies, foundations, and various types of non-profit associations, have an important social, economic, and cultural contribution in today's world. For that reason, it is fundamental to develop training programs aimed to provide increased productivity and increased wellbeing for their participants, according to the sector's principles and values. In order to reach this training's success, it is necessary to secure its social recognition as well as education continuity for the various agents and contributors up to the highest levels, thus allowing new opportunities for them to increase their worth. Social economy's specificity implies action principles guarantying cooperative thinking values: internal democracy, a high level of participation, negotiation control, autonomy, equity in the distribution of wealth, cooperation among various types of work, human development, and social and environmental responsibility. Therefore, the incorporation of these values in the training is fundamental. Research has been based on a survey carried out in 2010, on a representative sample of Portuguese cooperatives, and has carried out the study of all training activities developed from April, 2009 to April, 2010.

Keywords : social economy; supportive economy; unionism; education; cooperative values; agricultural cooperatives; Solidarity Economy; Study and Teaching; Agriculture; Cooperative; Cooperation; Professional Education.

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