ABSTRACT
Traditionally, economic growth has been understood to be a prerequisite for wellbeing. The need for a transformation to post-growth societies stems from mounting evidence that economic growth is related to social and ecological injustices. While social enterprise is often mentioned as one means when discussing transformation, critical studies have shown that social enterprise as a notion has an ambiguous relationship with a growth economy. This book chapter presents emerging ideas from previous literature and observations from ten years of ethnographic fieldwork focusing on grassroots initiatives related to social enterprise and post-growth organising in the global North. Inspired by systems thinking and leverage points, this chapter explores how to transcend social enterprise understandings that enable transformation to postgrowth societies that maximise wellbeing. Specifically, I focus on ensuring livelihoods and interspecies solidarity in societies emphasising social and environmental justice. I argue that social enterprise can play a role in postgrowth transformation if wellbeing is prioritised over the economic growth paradigm.
