Introduction and Overview
What is Cooperation?
One of the first questions that you might ask is, well, just what is
cooperation? The primary definition for ``cooperate'' in The American
Heritage Dictionary (2nd College Ed.) is ``to work or act together
toward a common end or purpose'' (The English word is derived from the
Latin word cooperari which itself comes from the roots
``co(m)-, together + operari, to work'').
Cooperation is then act of working together toward a common end or
purpose. However, this answer raises still more questions:
How do you work together in a sustainable way? What does such an
act imply philosophically? And why work together at all in the first place?
Why Study the Roots of Cooperation?
Just as each of us can trace back ancestors on our family tree, our
co-ops also have roots based in the soil of earlier cooperative
efforts. By looking at these roots, it is possible to gain
insight into some of the aforementioned questions. While times have
changed since the first cooperatives developed, much has also remained
the same. This is true because running a cooperative is fundamentally
an enterprise of managing the concerns of a diverse and free-thinking
groups of people, regardless of the particular goals of the
organization. By reviewing the history of the early cooperative
movement, I hope that you will gain a better understanding of the
motivations for cooperative association and the principles of
cooperative management. Such knowledge may then be applied to better
understand and participate in your own cooperative enterprises.
Finally, the story of the early cooperative movement is simply
an interesting tale in and of itself!
Outline
This work consists of a series of short essays, each addressing a
particular aspect of the early cooperative movement. An outline of
the topics to be covered is listed below:
- Origins of Cooperation
A review of the problems faced by the early cooperators
and some of the options that were available to them.
- Philosophical Background of Cooperation
A discussion of some of the intellectual ideas that
opposed and promoted the early cooperative movement.
- The Rochdale Cooperative
The cooperative founded in Rochdale, England in 1844 is
widely recognized as the first cooperative successful over
a long period of time.
- History
A brief account of the plight of the people of Rochdale
and their efforts to give birth to a cooperative store.
- Principles
A review of the Rochdale Principles including their
motivation and consequences.
- George J. Holyoake on Cooperation
George J. Holyoake was one of the early members of the Rochdale
cooperative and one its most prominent and vocal proponents.
This section reprints some of his comments on the efforts
of the Rochdale Pioneers.
- Closing Remarks
Some closing comments, a review of local cooperatives, and resources
for further exploration.
Copyright 1999 by Ronald Kumon
Laurel House Co-op & Laurel Net Cooperative /
Austin, Texas, USA /
Created 11 Mar 1999 / Updated 11 Mar 1999
This page is published by Laurel Net Cooperative, a registered student
organization. This page is not an official publication of The
University of Texas at Austin and does not represent the views of The
University or its officers.