Abstract
SERIGO WP3 employs a case study approach to examine how social and solidarity economy (SSE) initiatives address rural vulnerabilities across Europe. By emphasizing the situatedness of SSE initiatives, this approach aims to uncover key mechanisms, conditions, and capacities while recognizing case studies as bounded systems shaped by researchers’ epistemological choices.
This deliverable provides methodological guidelines to ensure consistency across the 24 case studies conducted within SERIGO WP3. Deliverable 3.1 offers practical tools for research design, data collection, and analysis, including step-by-step guidance, interview samples, consent forms, and ethical considerations—particularly for research involving vulnerable groups.
Integrating critical systems thinking and intersectional approaches, the guidelines offer an innovative framework for analyzing rural vulnerabilities and assessing the potential of SSE in promoting social inclusion. Designed for adaptability, they support rigorous, timely data collection and structured case study reports, contributing to WP3’s broader goal of generating empirically grounded insights for EU policy.