Social economy and territorial development: theoretical approaches and perceptions in the local development agencies of the Basque Country

Interest in studying links between the Social Economy (SE) and Territorial Development (TD) has increased considerably in recent years. However, no updated and organized review exists of the main theoretical approaches for the study of the relationship between them. This paper identifies four positions, or perspectives, from which different authors make their theoretical approaches. These perspectives reflect different interpretations of the relationship of SE and TD. The paper concludes that all perspectives agree that SE can contribute positively to TD. However, each perspective uses the most functional analytical categories for their interests. In practice, these positions have implications for territorial strategies, but the boundaries between each position are much more blurred than the theory suggests.