"If something happens to me, the collective supports me". An analysis of the concrete practices of building solidarity within the social and solidarity economy based on the experience of the rag-pickers of Emmaus-Navarra

Abstract

In recent years, numerous economic-political proposals and initiatives have emerged that advocate the construction of a more equitable "alternative" economy, presenting themselves under terms such as "ethical", "fair" or "solidarity". These initiatives often refer us to an alternative morality to those of the prevailing hegemonic economy which, in turn, serves as a form of legitimization of the practices they carry out before society. Starting from some theoretical notions such as "moral economy" or "embedding", the text proposes an approach to the experience of Traperos de Emaus-Navarra as a case study in which the concrete daily forms in which the intention of moralizing the economy is materialized in an experience of social and solidarity economy will be approached. This initiative, focused on the collection and recovery of bulky waste, employs 320 people in 2023 who have almost absolute wage equality among them, and is committed to reducing the working day as an instrument to facilitate more people's access to a job. The text addresses issues such as the central role of some ideological/symbolic elements for group cohesion and the survival of the main principles of the initiative, as well as presenting some dilemmas and debates surrounding the initiative, such as issues related to wage equality or the reduction of the working day as crucial aspects of the initiative.