"Gen Xers are notorious for mixing and matching belief systems, sub-cultures and career moves - a fertile starting point for establishing the new co-operative, which will serve tailor-made purposes for groups of young people seeking innovation and individuality." Lee Wilson

Lee Wilson

In her submission to the BC Institute for Co-operative Studies, University of Victoria, Canada, publishers of a book soon to be released on Youth Reinventing Co-operatives, Lee Wilson, former ACCORD researcher writes ...

... Unfortunately young people have not been closely observed regarding their attitudes and behaviour towards co-operatives, nor is it easy to ascertain how many young people are 'active' members of co-operatives.

Young people naturally gravitate towards places and people who represent their sense of 'self'. It is commonly accepted that the notion of 'belonging' holds a lot of meaning for young people developing a sense of identity and structural meaning for their futures. Questions being asked by the co-operative movement in Australia are; how are co-ops relevant to young people? Are they aware of co-operatives and their potential to cement a sense of belonging and 'self'? And what kinds of co-ops might young people gravitate towards?

Youth Reinventing Co-operatives

Young people now have far more options in how they choose to live their lives and participate in areas of particular interest or concern. Gen Xers are notorious for mixing and matching belief systems, sub-cultures and career moves. This appears to be a fertile starting point for establishing the new co-operative, which will serve tailor-made purposes for groups of young people seeking innovation and individuality.

Of course these co-operatives would lend themselves more to interest or recreational pursuits, as urban artists in Sydney have found - forming collectives to address their creative needs rather than trying to 'break-in' to a competitive and sponsored market. They claim to be doing this for both financial and philosophical reasons - tying in their reaction against the biased and often unrepresentative nature of the mass market.

Youth Reinventing Co-operatives Reserve your copy online!
http://bcics.uvic.ca/youthzone