CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2025
| Author | Fehr, Rifka |
|---|---|
| Title | Embedded Alternatives: How a consumer cooperative in Barcelona reimagines community and sustainability |
| Summary | In light of the United Nations’ 2025 “International Year of Cooperatives”, this thesis explores the structures and processes through which a consumer cooperative contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Whilst the United Nations (UN) highlights the role of cooperatives in advancing the SDGs, research has largely overlooked the underlying mechanisms that make cooperatives effective. This thesis addresses that gap, by moving beyond the predominantly descriptive case studies found in existing literature. Focusing specifically on SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities and SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, this thesis explores how a consumer supermarket cooperative in Barcelona fosters community inclusivity, resilience, and sustainability, while advancing local sustainable consumption and production patterns. Integrating the frameworks of performativity and embeddedness, alongside the degeneration and regeneration theses, this thesis investigates how the cooperative aligns local needs with global sustainability objectives, balances social and market logics, and navigates the risks of mission drift under capitalist pressures. |
| Supervisor | Hübscher, Evelyne & Walter, Mariana |
| Department | Public Policy MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2025/fehr_rifka.pdf |
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