ABSTRACT
This chapter sheds light on contributions of contemporary social movements to the solidarity economy by locating its analysis within social movement studies. It does so by examining the idea of solidarity economy as expressed in the emerging conceptualisation of the commons. From the theoretical point of view, it aims at locating the debate around the commons within different streams of research that have, from different perspectives, looked at the relationships between social movements and the economy. Empirically, it analyses the framing of the commons as it emerged in anti-austerity protests. It pays special attention to struggles against privatisation of the provision of public goods (such as the water referendum in Italy) as well as practices of the commons in the development of critical mutualism (as in self-managed clinics) and new cooperatives.
