Social Entrepreneurship in Germany

Public and political interest in social entrepreneurship (SE) is increasing while it remains a contested and ambiguous concept. Philipp Kenel traces the popular media representation of SE in Germany over time (1999-2021), making an important empirical contribution to the sociological and political understanding of the phenomenon. He shows that until 2008, SE was mainly understood as a reform of the welfare infrastructure (including public and non-profit institutions). From 2009, SE was increasingly conceptualised as part of the economy, while sometimes challenging and other times reaffirming mainstream economic logics. More recently, in somewhat competing perspectives, SE has been framed as part of the 'start-up' world or as a force for deeper social and ecological transformation.