Goals
This project explores the organization of mutual aid outside the institutionalized framework of volunteering to reveal alternative exchange practices. Specific focuses include :
- Valorization of unrecorded mutual aid practices through three case studies.
- Development of alternative models to commercial exchange, in collaboration with participants in the initiatives.
- Theoretical contribution on these new forms of mutual aid organization.
Context
The pandemic has highlighted the importance of mutual aid in times of crisis. Historically, human responses to disasters have shown a predisposition towards love and cooperation, often associated with « give and take » logics. This project criticizes the market approach to mutual aid, favoring a study of non-market exchanges that enrich the social fabric.
Conceptual framework
The project is based on theories of relationality that see human interactions as essentially interdependent. It integrates posthumanist, feminist and Good Living perspectives to examine mutual aid exchanges as practices of care and community engagement.
Methodology
The approach is qualitative, using multisited ethnography to study three mutual aid initiatives « on the margins ». This method allows us to explore relationships and practices in a variety of contexts, offering a rich understanding of the dynamics at work.
Impact and outreach
The results will enrich academic and practical understanding of mutual aid, offering viable alternatives to market exchange. A wiki will be created to share knowledge, and practical tools will be developed for NPOs and community organizations, improving their ability to organize mutual aid in a non-market way.
Participants
The project involves marginal actors and communities not usually covered by traditional research on volunteering, integrating their perspectives and experiences to challenge established norms and propose new methods of collaboration and community support.
Conclusion
This research proposes to rethink mutual aid as a fundamentally relational and collaborative phenomenon, seeking to demonstrate and reinforce solidarity practices that transcend traditional economic transactions and enrich social ties.
Any questions?
Contact: vasquez.consuelo@uqam.ca