Social Entrepreneurship - 1926 Words

Rose Spiegel Rationale 5.7.13 Everyone describes social entrepreneurship differently. While many have been able to describe the traits and features of a social entrepreneur there doesn’t seem at all to be a consensus about the definition of what constitutes the field of social entrepreneurship. Susan Davis and David Bornstein in their book, Social Entrepreneurship: What Everyone Needs to Know define social entrepreneurship as â€Å"a process by which citizens build or transform institutions to advance solutions to social problems such as poverty, illness, illiteracy, environmental destruction, human rights abuses and corruption (1). The NYU Reynolds Program defines it differently saying â€Å"Social entrepreneurship is a form of leadership that†¦show more content†¦I believe that the potential of social entrepreneurship extends far beyond the creation of a new sector compromised of profit-seeking entities that achieve social and environmental good through their products and services. In fact, I believe that the principles of social entrepreneurship hold the greatest value for the pre-existing structures that are already in place. My personal interests in social entrepreneurship are in how the principles and practices of the field can be applied to nonprofits and the current private sector. Often social entrepreneurship is seen as a break away from traditional modes of social change, namely the work done by nonprofits. It’s supposed superiority stems from its focus on efficiency, innovation, and sustainability. Like many proponents of social entrepreneurship, I too, find the traditional models in the social sector to be insufficient for creating the type of changes that our society desperately needs. I found myself growing more and more skeptical of the ability of traditional non-profits to make social change. Finding funding often seemed to take precedent over alleviating poverty and I constantly felt that the change we were making was insufficient, superficial and unsustainable. When I came to NYU I was near ready to wash my hands of this â€Å"social change† business and pursue something else that might interest me, but my new path to study Media Culture andShow MoreRelatedSocial Entrepreneurship1768 Words   |  8 PagesAssess the importance of social entrepreneurship in the local context. 1.0 Definition of Social Entrepreneurship A social entrepreneur identifies and solves social problems on a large scale. Just as business entrepreneurs create and transform whole industries, social entrepreneurs act as the change agents for society, seizing opportunities others miss in order to improve systems, invent and disseminate new approaches and advance sustainable solutions that create social value. Unlike traditionalRead MoreSocial Entrepreneurship921 Words   |  4 PagesSOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP When I was a kid, I could have been what people would now call a social entrepreneur or socialpreneur. A lot of people would have fallen into this category. To help your school or church or youth group, you may have sold chocolate bars door-to-door. People bought them, even if they didnt like chocolate; because they knew the money would go to support a worthy cause. Both the seller and purchaser are examples of social consciousness in action. Now my ownRead MoreSocial Entrepreneurship2389 Words   |  10 PagesWhat is social entrepreneurship? The animation is made to explain the concept of social entrepreneurship to the general public and raise awareness of the importance of this type of business.... 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The aim of this report is to clarify social entrepreneurships’ characterization and how it is defined within the New Zealand sector. Furthermore, it aims to examine constraints that an independent investor, wanting to start-up a social enterprise, in New Zealand may encounter in the current environment, including funding optionsRead MoreThe Idea Of Social Entrepreneurship2201 Words   |  9 PagesOn the idea of social entrepreneurship The idea of social entrepreneurship implies diverse things to various individuals and analysts (Dees, 1998). One gathering of scientists alludes to social enterprise as not-revenue driven activities looking for option financing methodologies, or administration plans to make social worth (Austin, Stevenson, and Wei-Skiller, 2003; Boschee, 1998). A second gathering of analysts comprehends it as the socially mindful routine of business organizations occupied