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In this paper, we use the concept of 'alterity' to explore the hallmarks and transformative potential of Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs) in the UK consumer credit market. By providing small, short‐term personal loans to individuals on low incomes (i.e. microcredit), these lenders act as an alternative to exploitative forms of subprime lending, which have proliferated as a consequence of cuts in welfare state provision and growing income insecurity. In‐depth interviews (n = 23) were conducted with lenders and stakeholders and a typology of 'alternatives' was developed in relation to the clients of CDFIs and their role in the consumer credit market. Our contribution to knowledge is twofold: We provide a nuanced picture of 'alterity' in finance, finding that CDFIs embody multiple 'alterities' at the same time, and we extend the conversation about alternative and sustainable finance to the consumer credit market, which is an overlooked, yet critical, area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the growing academic and policy interest in social enterprises, existing debates fail to answer how these organizations innovate without compromising their social mission. In particular, the mechanisms that assist social enterprises to innovate in line with their mission have been overlooked in the social enterprise literature. Through an empirical study of four social enterprises in Scotland, UK, we focus on Design Thinking and show that, through stimulating the engagement of diverse stakeholders, generating organizational knowledge and challenging traditional power dynamics, Design Thinking assists social enterprises in inducing missionaligned innovation. Through the lens of Intellectual Capital theory, our article shows the applicability of Design Thinking in the field of social entrepreneurship, and draws implications for policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonprofits are increasingly involved in collaborative governance mechanisms, on the premise that their proximity to end users and better understanding of the local contexts can lead to better policy outcomes. Although government–nonprofit relations have been theorized and explored by several studies, few studies have examined specifically collaborative governance, instead focusing on other phases of policy development or service delivery. In this article, we present a realist evaluation of data gathered from in-depth semi-structured interviews (N = 41) and four focus groups with stakeholders involved in collaborative governance arrangements within "Strategic Public Social Partnerships" in Scotland. Our findings indicate that collaborative governance processes involving nonprofits can potentially lead to improved services through mechanisms such as the development of trust and the establishment of new learning dynamics, and when knowledgeable leadership and mutuality drive collaborations. However, this is only true if the long-term sustainability of these processes translates into the mainstreaming of both the resulting services and their underlying collaborative principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In liberal welfare systems, social security policy has been increasingly shifting towards conditionality and individualisation (Knotz, 2019). It is within this context that failure to meet the set conditions becomes personal rather than systemic. This has been enabled by policy discourses that construct poverty and unemployment as the result of personal failure and poor social behaviour. While this area of study over emphasises 'the constraints imposed by discourse' (Bacchi, 2000: 55), alternative discourses are often developed. This paper draws on ethnographic research investigating the development of self-reliant groups (SRGs) in Scotland. SRGs are small groups of women supporting each other in creating opportunities for personal development. We find that the process of involvement and sharing of experiences between women at the forefront of welfare reform led to the development of a counter public sphere. Yet, the experience doesn't move fully towards actions for transformative social change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we delve into the opportunities and challenges of implementing municipal renewal as a national policy, especially in the context of local authorities' relationships with anchor institutions, civil society and the social economy. Drawing on the initiation of a national Community Wealth Building policy, as adopted by the Scottish Government in 2021, we review the extant literature to discuss the emerging challenges and opportunities for CWB as a form of 'New' Municipalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The centrality of the third sector in the co-production of public services is seemingly based on the assumption that it can act as an effective proxy for service users. However, the third sector encompasses a broad range of organisational forms, interests and governance arrangements, which all have implications for the type and nature of relationships between the sector and its constituencies. Through analysis of empirical data drawn from research on a prominent co-production model in Scotland, we construct and present a typology of different approaches to service user involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a move towards partnership working across the global north and south but there remain questions about how to do it most effectively. This paper reports on the findings from a project that built a partnership between women in Scotland and India in order to transfer knowledge about Indian Self Help Groups. By creating peer to peer relationships that challenged traditional roles of 'teacher' and 'learner', the project was effective in transferring learning from south to north and generating meaningful outcomes for those involved. Despite the contextual differences, the successful transfer of key components of the model, savings, and loans, has led to a sense of empowerment in the Scottish women that is comparable to their Indian counterparts. As the project continues, it will be important that the dialogue between the partners continues, so there is ongoing learning as the Scottish groups expand and develop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]