social.coop is one of the many independent Mastodon servers you can use to participate in the fediverse.
A Fediverse instance for people interested in cooperative and collective projects. If you are interested in joining our community, please apply at https://join.social.coop/registration-form.html.

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Matt Noyes

How do cooperative enterprises differ?

A small example/anecdote: When I applied for a job at a big Japanese university I had to re-submit my CV. The problem? I had included my six years of "stay-at-home parent." That had to go in order for my CV to be accepted.

In our current co-op study/organizing circle, based on @luisrazeto 's How to Create a Solidarity Enterprise, we each prepared a CV, and then a combined collective CV that recognized the importance of parenting and other care work.

To elaborate: for the university, my experiences of building micro-solidarity and mutual care were not only irrelevant, they hurt my credibility. Why? Because solidarity, the C Factor, is unnecessary, even harmful, in an institution that relies on standard hegemonic practices.

For our emerging co-op efforts, on the other hand, C Factor is at the center. Building relationships is crucial. This is why it's essential for people organizing co-ops to know how and why they differ.