Work in cooperatives and collective action. Political subjectivity as an analytical tool

Worker cooperatives have played an essential palliative role in supporting the adverse effects of the capitalist system, while they have also been conceived from their beginnings as effective or potential spaces for social transformation. To address this second disruptive or transformative role, the article proposes to characterize the processes of political subjectivation that take place in the framework of collective work, through the concepts of subalternity, antagonism and autonomy. The methodological strategy is based on an in-depth study of Uruguayan cooperatives: two of them integrated by industrial workers, and two conformed by professionals. The main technique is the in-depth interview, complemented by participant observation and secondary source analysis. The analysis of the individual level involved the construction of a typology that considers the meaning that its members give to work in cooperatives, and distinguishes between militant workers, by necessity, indifferent and hybrid profiles. The results of the collective level show that the consolidation of antagonistic cooperatives, with a greater social impact, is related to the presence of ideological objectives, participatory models and a broad consideration of the reproductive plane and personal needs. For its part, the formation of subordinate cooperatives occurs when there are strong economic restrictions and when individualistic logics are reproduced, with a lack of participation and involvement of the members. It concludes on different notions associated with autonomy (such as self-determination, freedom, and vulnerability) and analyzes the extension of the results to other contexts.

Automated summary

Worker cooperatives have a crucial role in alleviating the adverse effects of capitalism and are seen as potential spaces for social transformation. This article examines the process of political subjectivation within the framework of collective work, using concepts of subalternity, antagonism, and autonomy. The study of Uruguayan cooperatives reveals the characteristics and factors that contribute to the formation of different types of cooperatives.