Reciprocity: how does it work?

Reciprocity is one of the pillars on which a citizen collective rests. A collective that aims to develop sustainably therefore regularly asks itself: what is in it for the members, and how do they benefit? Members who are satisfied with the goods and services provided are more likely to be motivated to support and contribute to the collective in return.

Investing in livibility

Canadian professor Jorge Sousa studied a housing cooperative in a deprived neighborhood in Toronto. The cooperative did more than build good, affordable housing. It also invested significant effort in strengthening social cohesion in the neighborhood. In addition, it helped residents regain control over their lives through education and information programs. As a result of these activities, residents became increasingly involved in the cooperative. They began to contribute to policymaking and took responsibility for their surroundings. The neighborhood experienced a revival (1).

Researchers Andrés Ruggeri and Marcelo Vieta examined worker cooperatives in Argentina, which emerged in response to the deep economic recession of 2008. These cooperatives initially focused on preserving local employment, with workers taking over companies that were on the brink of bankruptcy. However, they went a step further. Like the housing cooperative, they began investing in community livability and in the education of their members. In doing so, they developed into resilient organizations deeply rooted in their communities (2, 3).

These two examples illustrate not only how reciprocity works, but also the advantages of a broad, community-oriented focus for citizen collectives.

References

1. J. Sousa, 2015. Realizing the Cooperative Advantage at the Atkinson Housing Co-operative: The Role of Community Development to Improve Public Housing (2015). Journal of Entrepreneurial and Organizational Diversity, vol. 4, issue 1, 52-74.
2. A. Ruggeri en M. Vieta, 2015. Argentina’s Worker-Recuperated Enterprises, 2010-2013: A Synthesis of Recent Empirical Findings (2015). Journal of Entrepreneurial and Organizational Diversity, vol. 4, issue 1, 75-103.

3. M. Vieta and D. Lionais, 2015. The Cooperative Advantage for Community Development Journal of Entrepreneurial and Organizational Diversity, vol. 4 issue 1, 1-9.