Il laboratorio sociale europeo. Reti transnazionali e pratiche locali del movimento cooperativo (1848-1895)

 "The European Social Laboratory: Transnational Networks and Local Practices of the Cooperative Movement (1848-1895)" explores the construction of internationalism within the cooperative movement during the 19th century, culminating in the establishment of the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) in August 1895. This study addresses a historical gap, highlighting the lack of transnational studies on the evolution of cooperative practices in the 19th century. It aims to rectify this oversight by tracing back the intricate path that established the cooperative movement as an autonomous player in international relations. Although its origins were already apparent in the first half of the 19th century, the cooperative movement surfaced as a response to social unrest during the 1848 European revolutions, blending entrepreneurial endeavors with political involvement. Subsequently, this research underscores Europe's role as a space of social innovation, fostering various modes of production, consumption, and savings rooted in mutual principles. Within this milieu, cooperative pioneers fostered a transnational epistemic community, weaving a dense web of relationships to disseminate best practices across the continent. 19th-century globalization facilitated the construction of a shared political discourse among the members of this network, advocating for global cooperative proliferation as a cornerstone of peace-building between social classes and nations. This cooperative internationalist identity competed fiercely with socialism for working-class allegiance, resulting in an intricate exchange of practices and organizational forms between the two movements. Nevertheless, the ideological context that grounded the roots of cooperative internationalism soon revealed its limitations. Originally conceived as a liberal and reformist alternative to the Second International, the ICA became swiftly hegemonized by socialists within a few years. Furthermore, its utopian vision of peace faced severe tests during the World Wars. However, the cooperative movement in the 19th century was a leading actor in a theater of rapid technological progress and radical economic transformations. The emergence of cooperative internationalism stemmed from a profound cultural transformation, embodying aspirations to reconcile profit and social impact, governance efficiency and democracy, global issues and local solutions, and the inherent tension between these factors.