co-operation

shared action to achieve a desired goal.
voluntary organizations of producers or consumers characterized by collaborative rather than competitive capitalist relations between those involved.

In the general sense 1 , it is something of a paradox that those engaged in mutual conflict, even warfare, must often co-operate, at least to some degree, in order to maintain the conflict. Thus, the widespread existence of co-operation within social organizations and societies does not necessarily answer the question of whether co-operation or competition is the decisive social cement of societies, e.g. underlying the DIVISION OF LABOUR.

In sense 2 , the major reference is to the co-operative organizations, and the wider Co-operative Movement dating from the early 19th century in Europe. These derived from the ideas of socialists such as Robert Owen (1771-1858) and the democratic and participatory principles established by the Rochdale Pioneers, who established the first retail co-operative in 1844. As producer and marketing organizations, co-operatives have been especially effective in agriculture. In general, in the context of a wider capitalist system, co-operative organizations have tended to suffer from undercapitalization and poor organization.

Collins Dictionary of Sociology, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2000

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References in periodicals archive

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