Abstract

This doctoral thesis explores the motivations and transformative impacts of youth-led cooperatives within Mexico's solidarity economy. The research investigates the motivations behind young entrepreneurs' decisions to form cooperatives and their impact on their personal and collective growth. It delves into how these cooperatives address their emotional, social, financial, and political needs, as well as the dynamics of youth-adult partnerships (Y-APs) that support these ventures.

The research draws from interdisciplinary fields such as positive youth development, community youth development, entrepreneurship, education, and solidarity economy. In this thesis, the solidarity economy is defined based on the principles of equity, solidarity, participatory democracy, sustainability, and pluralism. Methodologically, the thesis employs decolonial and indigenous approaches through a combination of biographical narratives and theoretical insights, ensuring that research collaborators' voices and experiences are central to the analysis. This approach fosters genuine relationality and accountability, providing a platform for participants' authentic perspectives.

Key findings reveal that youth cooperatives provide spaces for positive development, allowing young people to satisfy their social, emotional, economic, and political needs. Within cooperatives, youth experience a sense of being, belonging, and becoming. They foster their self-identity (being), develop a sense of community and inclusion (belonging), and acquire new competencies and skills that prepare them for adulthood (becoming). The study also underscores the critical role of adults as partners in supporting the creation and management of these cooperatives, highlighting the importance of intergenerational collaboration.

By integrating educational insights and personal and work experiences, my research outlines how the formation of cooperatives is a response to seeking alternatives to the capitalist system. These findings contribute to a more subtle understanding of how young individuals leverage cooperative ventures as platforms for living their values and effectuating real-world change, thus enriching both academic discourse and practical approaches within the solidarity economy.