ABSTRACT
The meaning of social enterprise in Norway is currently contested in public discourse between actors identifying themselves as social entrepreneurs and actors representing dominant political and economic interests in public, business and voluntary organizations. The concept is used rhetorically to promote divergent perspectives on how commercial strategies should be used to address social problems. The meanings attributed to social enterprise by various actors in public discourse are presented. The Norwegian welfare state provides universal benefits and services to all its citizens. Social enterprise has been determined as 'a hybrid phenomenon based upon multiple resources from market income, redistribution allocated through the state and reciprocity often originating in the civil society'. Gustavsen and Kobro made a short reference to the Damvad survey, dismissing it as irrelevant to their study of how social entrepreneurship can alleviate poverty among children.
