Maria Lisa Polegatto - February 2024
Social Entrepreneurs: Entrepreneurship from a Critical Perspective
With the current state of the economy and increasing prices of essential services, social entrepreneurs, needless to say individuals, are doing their best to find ways to support themselves and their families while also providing social support to their community. However, when entrepreneurism crosses over the line to neoliberalism, social issues can arise such as creating “gender, class and race inequality” (Lackéus, 2017).
Is the state of the economy pushing people to need to succeed for survival more than they want to? Is the push for profits leading to more inequality? Is the negativity towards entrepreneurship stemming from people, government or organizations that are losing out on profits? Should global citizens work the status quo of 9 to 5 traditional careers instead of forging new paths to innovate sustainable ways of being for the future of generations and the planet? After shoveling day and night during our 150 cm of snowfall this month, I’m ready to find entrepreneurs that have invented ways to make shoveling nonexistence. Finally, with one day off from shoveling in the front yesterday and today, I still need to go out back and shovel more before the next show fall.
What is neoliberalism? I had to research some information to compare neoliberalism and entrepreneurship to clarify. Neoliberalism can be defined as “a social-scientific term” full of challenges as it can be broadly used, however, many academics tend to be ambiguous in explanation of what the term means (Rutar, 2023). In academic terms neoliberalism is seen as a prevailing ideology and responsible for social issues today, including poverty, climate change, war, social mistrust, and growing “self-centered individualism” that threatens to collapse the social fabric of community (Rutar, 2023).
What is neoliberalism? I had to research some information to compare neoliberalism and entrepreneurship to clarify. Neoliberalism can be defined as “a social-scientific term” full of challenges as it can be broadly used, however, many academics tend to be ambiguous in explanation of what the term means (Rutar, 2023). In academic terms neoliberalism is seen as a prevailing ideology and responsible for social issues today, including poverty, climate change, war, social mistrust, and growing “self-centered individualism” that threatens to collapse the social fabric of community (Rutar, 2023).
| Neoliberalism has seven (7) principal characteristics of:
When neoliberalism is positive it encourages freedom of choice for increased wealth, health, wellness, and efficiency; however, negatively it can have governments transferring power to profit hungry corporations, decline of human needs, disregard of common good and creation of anti-democratic values (Lackéus, 2017) thus a loss of balance in society. | compared to | Entrepreneurship is defined as “the pursuit of opportunity beyond the resources currently controlled” (Miller, 2020). The characteristics of entrepreneurship include:
The process of entrepreneurship includes:
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Entrepreneurs can be either individuals or teams, can come from any walk of life, and give attention to their team for success (Miller, 2020). Provided an entrepreneur possess an “entrepreneurial spirit”, they can “seize opportunities and overcome challenges” (Miller, 2020).
Learning how to become an entrepreneur comes more naturally to some while others need to educate themselves on the process. Unfortunately, entrepreneurial education has been targeted as being a negative neoliberalism issue suggesting it can encourage egotistical traits as opposed to encouraging individuals to provide positive community support leading to a reduction of entrepreneurial education curriculum (Lackéus, 2017).
A method to debate issues is the Hegelian dialectic method which is a three-step process to:
We need to see all sides of the issue to reflect on the conflict fairly. Instead of fearing to teach a “cult of the self” (Lackéus, 2017), we need to go forth fearlessly teaching how to encourage the betterment of society for all through creativity, innovation and sustainable options and new ideas to bring community together and work in unison. We need to stand up and encourage democracy. We all need to have a dream to survive. The dream should be more than having basic human needs such as food, water, shelter, and measurable elements such as positive emotion and achievement (Lackéus, 2017). We need to take creative and fearless actions for the benefits they can generate for society and a positive impact on others (Lackéus, 2017).
Entrepreneurial education does not need to be about gain and profit solely for self. It should be designed as “students-as-givers” culture instead of “takers” (Lackéus, 2017) and include engaging with others to fulfill dreams, enhance lives, give value in terms of interests, community, environment, well being of the global community. It should create lifelong learners that is not based on economic ability or capabilities to act and is based on choice not necessity for survival (Forcher-Mayr & Mahlknecht, 2020). Entrepreneurial projects can include assistance to improve “societal challenges” (Forcher-Mayr & Mahlknecht, 2020), such as food security, climate action, and well-being.
Entrepreneurial education can use the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (“SDGs”) toward action for students for food security such as “Zero Hunger” (SDGs #2) by using entrepreneurial agriculture education such as Sprouting Entrepreneurs Programme in rural South African schools (Forcher-Mayr & Mahlknecht, 2020). With poverty and food shortages globally, we need to encourage entrepreneurs to innovate with such acts as growing healthy food for all instead of growing food for those who can afford to pay for it. We also need to provide entrepreneurial education for essential human services that do not prevent people from having the capability to learn such as the costs where students are forced to divide their focus on learning with being able to educate themselves financially. Growing food in school yards and roof tops, visits to farms to see food crops and the animals and machinery that assist, teaching agriculture methods, innovating new ways grow food, learning how to cook, need to find their way in education. Otherwise, we are moving toward a future of starvation. Governments need to assist farmers economically, socially, culturally, ecologically, and civically (Forcher-Mayr & Mahlknecht, 2020), not deploy neoliberalism methods such as NGO’s solely being in charge of essential human rights and services. We need to create a better world for all, not fight for basic survival.
Globally, we need to move away from neoliberalism with the survival of competition with others for economic gain to instead be for the cooperation with others as “global citizens” caring for our shared biosphere (Fernández-Herrería & Martínez-Rodrígue, 2016) and nurturing “critical citizens” with the freedom of opportunity for innovation (Forcher-Mayr & Mahlknecht, 2020). We need to stand up and go forth in unity with each other by making “choices” to teach, learn, share, and grow by the “actions we take” (Lackéus, 2017). It is the way to a successful future, of not just entrepreneurs but, for global society and security. Be kind and do good for others.
Learning how to become an entrepreneur comes more naturally to some while others need to educate themselves on the process. Unfortunately, entrepreneurial education has been targeted as being a negative neoliberalism issue suggesting it can encourage egotistical traits as opposed to encouraging individuals to provide positive community support leading to a reduction of entrepreneurial education curriculum (Lackéus, 2017).
A method to debate issues is the Hegelian dialectic method which is a three-step process to:
- develop a thesis
- develop an antithesis and
- examine the findings to understand the conflicts (Lackéus, 2017).
We need to see all sides of the issue to reflect on the conflict fairly. Instead of fearing to teach a “cult of the self” (Lackéus, 2017), we need to go forth fearlessly teaching how to encourage the betterment of society for all through creativity, innovation and sustainable options and new ideas to bring community together and work in unison. We need to stand up and encourage democracy. We all need to have a dream to survive. The dream should be more than having basic human needs such as food, water, shelter, and measurable elements such as positive emotion and achievement (Lackéus, 2017). We need to take creative and fearless actions for the benefits they can generate for society and a positive impact on others (Lackéus, 2017).
Entrepreneurial education does not need to be about gain and profit solely for self. It should be designed as “students-as-givers” culture instead of “takers” (Lackéus, 2017) and include engaging with others to fulfill dreams, enhance lives, give value in terms of interests, community, environment, well being of the global community. It should create lifelong learners that is not based on economic ability or capabilities to act and is based on choice not necessity for survival (Forcher-Mayr & Mahlknecht, 2020). Entrepreneurial projects can include assistance to improve “societal challenges” (Forcher-Mayr & Mahlknecht, 2020), such as food security, climate action, and well-being.
Entrepreneurial education can use the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (“SDGs”) toward action for students for food security such as “Zero Hunger” (SDGs #2) by using entrepreneurial agriculture education such as Sprouting Entrepreneurs Programme in rural South African schools (Forcher-Mayr & Mahlknecht, 2020). With poverty and food shortages globally, we need to encourage entrepreneurs to innovate with such acts as growing healthy food for all instead of growing food for those who can afford to pay for it. We also need to provide entrepreneurial education for essential human services that do not prevent people from having the capability to learn such as the costs where students are forced to divide their focus on learning with being able to educate themselves financially. Growing food in school yards and roof tops, visits to farms to see food crops and the animals and machinery that assist, teaching agriculture methods, innovating new ways grow food, learning how to cook, need to find their way in education. Otherwise, we are moving toward a future of starvation. Governments need to assist farmers economically, socially, culturally, ecologically, and civically (Forcher-Mayr & Mahlknecht, 2020), not deploy neoliberalism methods such as NGO’s solely being in charge of essential human rights and services. We need to create a better world for all, not fight for basic survival.
Globally, we need to move away from neoliberalism with the survival of competition with others for economic gain to instead be for the cooperation with others as “global citizens” caring for our shared biosphere (Fernández-Herrería & Martínez-Rodrígue, 2016) and nurturing “critical citizens” with the freedom of opportunity for innovation (Forcher-Mayr & Mahlknecht, 2020). We need to stand up and go forth in unity with each other by making “choices” to teach, learn, share, and grow by the “actions we take” (Lackéus, 2017). It is the way to a successful future, of not just entrepreneurs but, for global society and security. Be kind and do good for others.
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References
Fernández-Herrería, A., & Martínez-Rodríguez, F. M. (2016). Deconstructing the neoliberal
“Entrepreneurial Self”: A critical perspective derived from a global
“biophilic consciousness”. Policy Futures in Education, 14(3),
314-326. https://doi.org/10.1177/1478210316631709
Forcher-Mayr, M., & Mahlknecht, S. (2020). A Capability Approach to Entrepreneurship
Education: The Sprouting Entrepreneurs Programme in Rural South African Schools.
Discourse and Communication for Sustainable Education, 11(1), 119–133.
https://doi.org/10.2478/dcse-2020-0011
Harvard Online. (2018, July 16). Pros and cons of Neoliberalism. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t41rFqVpB1I
Key Differences. (2020, October 16). What is entrepreneurship? definition, characteristics and entrepreneurial process. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=266&v=MdNNGfoxrqA&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fca.video.search.yahoo.com%2F&embeds_referring_origin=https%3A%2F%2Fca.video.search.yahoo.com&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjY&feature=emb_logo
Lackéus, M. (2017). Does entrepreneurial education trigger more or less neoliberalism in education? Education & Training (London), 59(6), 635–650. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-09-2016-0151
Miller, K. (2020, July 7). 10 characteristics of successful entrepreneurs: HBS Online. Business Insights Blog. https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/characteristics-of-successful-entrepreneurs
Rutar, T. (2023). What is neoliberalism really? A global analysis of its real-world consequences
for development, inequality, and democracy. Social Science Information, 62(3), 295-322.
https://doi.org/10.1177/05390184231202950
“Entrepreneurial Self”: A critical perspective derived from a global
“biophilic consciousness”. Policy Futures in Education, 14(3),
314-326. https://doi.org/10.1177/1478210316631709
Forcher-Mayr, M., & Mahlknecht, S. (2020). A Capability Approach to Entrepreneurship
Education: The Sprouting Entrepreneurs Programme in Rural South African Schools.
Discourse and Communication for Sustainable Education, 11(1), 119–133.
https://doi.org/10.2478/dcse-2020-0011
Harvard Online. (2018, July 16). Pros and cons of Neoliberalism. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t41rFqVpB1I
Key Differences. (2020, October 16). What is entrepreneurship? definition, characteristics and entrepreneurial process. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=266&v=MdNNGfoxrqA&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fca.video.search.yahoo.com%2F&embeds_referring_origin=https%3A%2F%2Fca.video.search.yahoo.com&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjY&feature=emb_logo
Lackéus, M. (2017). Does entrepreneurial education trigger more or less neoliberalism in education? Education & Training (London), 59(6), 635–650. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-09-2016-0151
Miller, K. (2020, July 7). 10 characteristics of successful entrepreneurs: HBS Online. Business Insights Blog. https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/characteristics-of-successful-entrepreneurs
Rutar, T. (2023). What is neoliberalism really? A global analysis of its real-world consequences
for development, inequality, and democracy. Social Science Information, 62(3), 295-322.
https://doi.org/10.1177/05390184231202950
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