Rural Lives and Livelihoods: The Role of the SSEAndrea F. Schuman, Director

Center for Scientific and Social Studies, Yucatán México

Sept. 2015

Universities developing social entrepreneurship through cross-sector collaboration.

International conference, York St John University, 1-3 Sept. 2015

Context- Yucatán’s Economic ProfileSource: Centro para la competitividad de Yucatán, mayo 2015

State population approx. 2 million

Yucatán- Composition PIB per capita: agriculture: 3%; industrial: 31%; services: 66%.

Formal job losses 2013- 2014- 9,800 62.4% of employed persons are in the informal

sector 96% of businesses have fewer than 11

employees

Context 2

49% of employed persons make “two minimum salaries” or less.

Average educational level of employed persons: 8.7 years

NEEMAYA

Endogenous Development (Garofoli 1992)

• Capital investment from outside

• Indigenous workforce

• Provide secure employment utilizing workers’ knowledge and respectful of their traditions

• Introduce new elements carefully chosen to enhance and broaden workers’ capacities

Work at the Factory

• Tasks include procurement of materials, fabrication and packaging of products, readying products for shipment, securing the needed paperwork for local and international sales and maintaining the facility in accordance with health department specifications.

The Evaluation Research Questions

How do the workers experience and conceive of the business and their place within the community of workers?

Understanding this, can we develop strategies in various dimensions to strengthen the community?

Examples of Products

Roles for the University

Historical Roots in Latin America 1918- Student uprising, Universidad de

Córdoba, Argentina

Demand for involvement with social problems affecting the poorest in LA societies

Development of triple charge for the university: teaching, research and extension

Technical Assistance vs. Partnership TA- the vertical model

“knowledge transfer” “expert guidance”

Partnership- the encounter based model work with affected people review together resources and strategies build with them alternative structures

Water Transport,

Example: Community controlled water testing and treatment protocol, Nicaragua

In Closing…..

Question the nature of economic activity:• Is continual growth necessary/possible?• Is profit the goal?

Question the organization of work:• Is work separate from “life”?• Is providing for consumption its purpose?

Question the purpose of education:• Competencies for what?• Transmission of information or promotion of

critical thinking?

Thanks for your attention.

Yucatán Sunset, Summer 2014