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Cooperative Economies in a Global Age

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Cooperative Economies in a Global Age Cooperative Economies in a Global Age A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Stefan Siebel Diplom Geograph, Ruhr University Bochum School of Global Urban and Social Studies College of Design and Social Context RMIT University September 2016 Declaration I certify that except where due acknowledgement has been made, the work is that of the author alone; the work has not been submitted previously, in whole or in part, to qualify for any other academic award; the content of the thesis is the result of work which has been carried out since the official commencement date of the approved research program; any editorial work, paid or unpaid, carried out by a third party is acknowledged; and, ethics procedures and guidelines have been followed. Stefan Siebel September 2016 Acknowledgements I would like to express my deepest gratitude and thanks to my principal supervisor Professor Manfred B. Steger for his understanding, guidance and encouragement. Had I not met him, through the talk he organized with Professor Lyman Tower Sargent, this thesis would simply not exist. I would also like to thank my second supervisors Professor Heikki Patomäki for getting me started and Dr Andy Scerri for his honest comments. The contributions of Dr Erin Wilson to this thesis during our time of working together and her practical advice were unexpected yet highly welcome and most needed. The thesis has been edited and proofread by Annette Krön with regards to language, illustrations and consistency. This study was carried out based on interviews with founders and key members in eight cooperatives in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada. I would like to thank all participants in the study, and all fellow co-operators I met during conferences and scouting visits, for their cooperation, time and provided insights. Without you the study would not have been possible. I am grateful to the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology for providing me with a scholarship, which made it possible to focus on the research for a number of years. On a more personal note, I would like to thank JJ for encouraging me to go where not many researchers have gone before, the late Professor Ian MacPherson and his colleagues who welcomed me with open arms in their cooperative research centre on Vancouver Island and introduced me to the International Cooperative Association. Special thanks go to the team at the NWCDC, Ramsey Margolis, Prof James Goodman, Dr Peter Phipps, Florian Kaufmann, Sven Giegold, Dr Burghard Flieger, Seb Prowse, Chris Flynn, James Gormley, Cathy Gibson, Brett Walters, Paul Barton, Dr Genna Burrows, Dr Allison Heskes, Tom Quinn, Sophie Ellis, George Kirby, Lauren Carroll, Dirk Beyer, Dr Oguzhan Narin, Max Bohnet, Jochen Baumeister, Dr Jan Scheurer, Prof Ludger Basten, Prof Wim Hafkamp, Prof Pavla Miller, Dr Inger Mewburn, Prof Suellen Murray, Dr Robin Goodman, Brian Walsh, Bernie Cahir, Dr Anke and Martin Steinl, Dr Sven Ihnken, Prof Frank Fisher, Prof Lydia Pulsipher, and Prof Toby Applegate – you know what for. Thanks also go to my fellow PhD students for interesting discussions (not only of academic nature), coffee breaks and Friday night drinks. Finally, I wish to thank Annett Finger, Alison Winn, and Eric Krupp for ‘coaching’ me, Dr Ascelin Gordon and Dr Bill Langford for their great input, and to my family, Anne, Rainer, Tabea and Julia Siebel, Elmar Hoenig, Margarete Heppner, Marianne, Wolfgang, Bettina and Frank Krön for the support they have given me in so many different ways. But mostly I am forever in debt to Annette Krön for all her support, for keeping it real, and for sticking around. Thanks heaps! ii – For Anne – iii Table of Contents List of Figures ................................................................................................................................................ vi List of Acronyms and Abbreviations .................................................................................................. viii Summary …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…….9 Chapter 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 12 1.1 Context .............................................................................................................................................................. 12 1.2 Research Aim and Scope ........................................................................................................................... 16 1.3 Research Approach ..................................................................................................................................... 17 1.4 Thesis Structure ............................................................................................................................................ 17 Chapter 2 The promise and limits of globalization ....................................................................... 20 2.1 Neoliberal Globalism .................................................................................................................................. 20 2.1.1 The problem with Capitalism ................................................................................................................ 24 2.1.2 Why neoliberalism grew so dominant ............................................................................................... 27 2.1.3 Limits of neoliberal globalization ....................................................................................................... 29 2.2 Alternative economic principles ........................................................................................................... 34 2.2.1 Justice Globalism ......................................................................................................................................... 37 2.2.2 Competition and cooperation ................................................................................................................ 39 2.3.3 Solidarity Economics ................................................................................................................................. 41 Chapter 3 Origins and types of cooperative economies ............................................................... 47 3.1 Historical overview of cooperatives .................................................................................................... 47 3.1.1 Origins in the industrial revolution .................................................................................................... 47 3.1.2 The rise of the cooperative movement .............................................................................................. 49 3.1.3 Downfall and marginalisation .............................................................................................................. 51 3.1.4 Rediscovery through the new left ........................................................................................................ 53 3.2 Cooperative economies ............................................................................................................................. 55 3.2.1 Typology of cooperatives ......................................................................................................................... 56 3.2.2 Cooperative governance .......................................................................................................................... 61 3.2.3 Focus on Worker Cooperatives ............................................................................................................. 65 3.3 Cooperative Globalization ........................................................................................................................ 69 3.3.1 Internationalisation through networks ............................................................................................ 70 3.3.2 Types of cooperative globalization ..................................................................................................... 76 3.3.3 Fair Trade ...................................................................................................................................................... 84 Chapter 4 Empowering Cooperative Economies ............................................................................. 91 4.1 Research Approach ..................................................................................................................................... 91 4.1.1 Methodology .................................................................................................................................................. 91 iv 4.1.2 Case Study Selection ................................................................................................................................... 99 4.2 Case Studies ................................................................................................................................................. 102 4.2.1 Equal Exchange ......................................................................................................................................... 103 4.2.2 Cooperative Coffees ................................................................................................................................. 106 4.2.3 Mountain Equipment .............................................................................................................................. 110
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