Co-operative ideology

The material in this extract is drawn from Co-operatives: Linking practice and theory (Adderley, in press). The discussion focuses on the dual nature of co-operatives, which is both economic and social. An overview of the historical debate on co-operative ideology considers the different understandings of the dual nature. This is followed by a discussion of the cultural element before concluding with a discussion of who benefits from co-operatives.