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Frank talking about social enterprise

20 July 2009

Professor Morgan pictured at table past two water bottles

Professor Bronwen Morgan
Image by Jason Ingram

When research has a social purpose, it can be even more important to communicate with the public about it. Professor Bronwen Morgan and PhD student Sarika Seshadri of the School of Law, together with Professor Dave Gordon of the School of Policy Studies, are researching social enterprises: businesses that trade for social and environmental purposes. Well-known examples include the Big Issue, the Eden Project and local organisations like the Bristol Wood Recycling Project.

Social enterprise has never been more popular, and many students and young people have become interested in careers in the field through initiatives like Student Hubs and enterprise competitions. But alongside its recent popularity, Bronwen explains, “we noticed a simultaneous rise in a certain scepticism about whether social enterprise is really ‘doing good’ in ways distinctive from business as usual.” In order to explore these perceptions, they organised a public event asking "What’s So Social About Social Enterprise?”  Speakers included Katie Alcott from Frank Water, June Burroughs from the Pierian Centre and Sam Robinson from Eaga.

One of the biggest challenges Bronwen and Sarika faced was reaching a non-university audience. To overcome this, they distributed flyers in cafés and venues around Bristol, contacted non-academic email lists, and decided to hold the event in the Architecture Centre by the Harbourside. “I think an off-campus presence helps to attract members of the public,” says Bronwen.

The event was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council as part of its Festival of Social Science, which is held every spring. The ESRC also helped Bronwen and Sarika to plan it and think through marketing.

It was stimulating to hear perspectives that were unconstrained by theoretical worries.

Professor Bronwen Morgan
“It was stimulating to hear perspectives that were unconstrained by theoretical worries,” said Bronwen. “I was particularly struck by how non-specialists mix judgements about what is good or bad in their eyes with any analysis they make. It reminded me that what we do in academia by trying to stand back, however temporarily, from our personal norms, is essentially artificial.”

Bronwen believes that social enterprise should be responsive to the public’s expectations. By exploring those views, the event helped shape the research's goals. “The final session produced big questions,” says Bronwen, “which most people felt were unanswerable, at least on that evening!” The pair plan to hold a second event in about two years’ time, which will connect their research to practical policy. Perhaps by then they will have helped to answer some of those big questions.

 

Please contact The Public Engagement Officer for further information.

Further information:

For more information on the event, email bronwen.morgan@bristol.ac.uk.
RISE is the South West forum for social enterprise. You can sign up for its newsletter at the RISE website.
Students within the University can join Student Hubs, a new organisation working to achieve a step change in student engagement with social and environmental issues, volunteering and campaigning.
The Bristol Enterprise Network holds occasional events specific to social enterprise.