003 - Social Entrepreneurship

Geographic Knowledge and Understanding

The importance of social entrepreneurship approaches for human development:

- The work of microfinance organisations and their networks.

- Alternative trading networks such as "Fairtrade".

- TNC corporate social responsibility frameworks and global agreements.

Concepts

Social entrepreneurship approaches support the processes of human development.

Aims

  • To be able to evaluate the importance of social entrepreneurship approaches for human development such as:
          • Microfinance organisations
          • Fairtrade as an 'alternative trading network'
          • TNC corporate social responsibility frameworks

Key Terminology

            • Microfinance
            • Fair trade
            • Corporate social responsibility
            • Microcredit

Define the key terms above by using the 'Useful Links' below.


Useful Links

Activity One - What is it?

It is all well and good and go into the nitty gritty of this syllabus point without actually looking at what social entrepreneurship is. Watch the Youtube clip below and write down what the elements of social entrepreneurship are.

Activity Two - Microfinance

Microfinance offers loans, savings and insurance to small businesses and individuals. It is often seen as a sustainable way to try and reduce poverty. This is also something that you can get involved in by either giving a little money to allow a project to happen or even getting involved with the decision making process of where money should be distributed to.


      1. What are the advantages of microfinance?
      2. What are the disadvantages of microfinance?
      3. How is it an important approach for closing the development gap?

Useful Resources

'Geography for the IB Diploma Study and Revision Guide HL Core Extension' Textbook by Simon Oakes. Page 48

Digital Initiative - Kiva: A crowdlending twist on traditional microfinance

New Media and Development Communication - Kiva

Activity Three - Fair Trade

Fair trade tries to give the worker a fair price for their products, a fair wage and encourages better working conditions. You have all seen the logo on different products and companies very much promote if they are using fair trade cotton or coffee. Many products that you buy may be classified as fair trade but you need to look at the specific companies network to really see if that is true. We as the consumer have the power to influence better working conditions and pay for people with the choices we make when we buy a product. Unfortunately not all people are able to make these decisions as they may have little purchasing power.


      1. What are the advantages of Fair Trade?
      2. What are the disadvantages of Fair Trade?
      3. How can the process of Fair Trade act as a network?
      4. How is it an important approach for closing the development gap?

Useful Resources

'Geography for the IB Diploma Study and Revision Guide HL Core Extension' Textbook by Simon Oakes. Page 49

Activity Four - Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate social responsibility is now high up on firms agendas as people are being to consider who they buy their goods from. Corporate social ability is there to promote fair trade, improve working conditions of employees and to plan what to do with their waste. It goes behind just looking at recycling.


      1. What are the advantages of Corporate Social Responsibility?
      2. What are the disadvantages of Corporate Social Responsibility?
      3. How is it an important approach for closing the development gap?

Useful Resources

'Geography for the IB Diploma Study and Revision Guide HL Core Extension' Textbook by Simon Oakes. Page 50

Exam Style Question

'All forms of social entrepreneurship create positive change.' Discuss. [16 marks]

This lesson was development in collaboration with Richard Allaway from geographyalltheway. For more resources please visit www.geographyalltheway.com