Friends or foes? Social enterprise and women organizing in migrant communities of China

Abstract

This article examines the application of the social enterprise model of poverty reduction and empowerment in the context of community organization among migrant women in China. In recent years, the social enterprise model has been portrayed as one of the most viable strategies in providing innovative and sustainable solutions to social problems. However, scepticism remains as to whether the business model is compatible with NGO and social work practice models. The author applies an entangled social logic approach in analysing the everyday practices of community workers and mainstay service users in reacting to the introduction of the business model in transforming women's groups into quasi-social enterprises. Evidence for analysis is collected through two cases studies of NGOs in China. Finally, broader theoretical and methodological issues of the synergy or tensions between the social enterprise model and NGO or social work practice models are discussed.

Keywords:

• social enterprise
• social work
• migrant women
• China

Acknowledgements

Portions of this research were supported by an action research grant from the China Research and Development Network (project code: 1-ZV93), Department of Applied Social Science, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and research grant from the National Social Science Foundation of China (project code: 11BSH075). The authors are grateful to the dedicated efforts of the anonymous workers of the South Cloud and the Full Circle in their work with migrant communities in China.