BUSCADOR RECOLECTA

Different factors have been proposed to explain why in some regions there is a greater tendency to form cooperatives. The debate remains open. In this study, we look at the spread of cooperativism within Catalonia from 1860 to 1939. Catalonia was not just the leading industrial region in Spain but also where cooperatives first emerged and had a greater presence. In line with the existing evidence, we find that cooperativism spread from coastal municipalities to the hinterland. In particular, it seems that local conditions (literacy and social capital) facilitated this process, while accessibility to the transport network and neighbouring effects also played a significant role., This work was supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia e innovacion (Spain) under grants HAR2015-64076-P, ECO2017-86793-R, ECO2015-65049-C12-1-P, HAR2016-76814-C2-1P (AEI/FEDER, EU) and by Generalitat Valenciana (Spain) (grant PROMETEO/2019/095).

Se han propuesto diferentes factores para explicar por qué en algunas regiones hay una mayor propensión a formar cooperativas que en otras. Aunque el debate sigue abierto, la literatura ofrece varias interpretaciones. Por un lado, algunos estudios han enfatizado el papel desempeñado por el capital humano, el acceso al mercado y las instituciones, entre otros factores, mientras que otros estudios han señalado la path dependence, es decir, el desarrollo del capital social y la confianza dentro de una sociedad en el pasado ha podido incentivar la cooperación. Diferenciar ambos efectos está lejos de ser trivial y requiere un análisis cuidadoso. En este estudio observamos la propagación del cooperativismo en Cataluña desde 1860 hasta 1939. Cataluña no era solo la región industrial líder en España, sino también donde las cooperativas surgieron por primera vez y tuvieron una mayor presencia. De acuerdo con la evidencia existente, encontramos que el cooperativismo se extendió desde los municipios costeros hacia el interior. En este sentido, parece que la alfabetización y la accesibilidad facilitaron este proceso. Además, el capital social no se puede descartar como un factor relevante, especialmente en contextos rurales., Different factors have been proposed to explain why in some regions there is a greater tendency to form cooperatives. Although the debate remains open, the literatura offers several interpretations. On the one hand, some studies have stressed the role played by human capital, market Access and institutions, among other factors, while other studies have pointed to path dependence, that is to say, the development of social capital and trust within a society in the past encourages cooperation. Disentangling both effects is far from trivial and requires a careful analysis. In this study, we look at the spread of cooperativism within Catalonia from 1860 to 1939. Catalonia was not just the leading industrial región in Spain, but also where cooperatives first emerged and had agreater presence. In line with the existing evidence, we find that cooperativism spread from coastal municipalities to the hinterland. In this regard, it appears that literacy and accessibility facilitated this process. Besides, social capital can not be discarded as a relevant factor, especially in rural contexts., This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities under Grants HAR2015-64076-P, ECO2017-86793-R; ECO2015-65049-C12-1-P and HAR2016-76814-C2-1-P (AEI/FEDER, EU).