ABSTRACT
A number of social enterprises in China are started by China’s ethnic minorities. These social enterprises operate within an economic sphere of their own, the moral economy. Circulations in a moral economy are regulated by customs and shared cultural standards among a group of people. The Baisha Naxi Embroidery Institute has used its position in the moral economy to revive the silk embroidery tradition of the Naxi. Its social mission is to provide handicapped youth from the rural villages with a livelihood by training them to become skilled embroiderers. The Institute was started in 2003 and its products are widely acknowledged. Firmly rooted in the moral economy, it is nevertheless an active participant in other economic spheres. Several of the Institute’s artisans have gained Model awards from the government and the Institute sells its embroideries to international and domestic tourists. The enterprise makes a difference to the social contract, directly for the beneficiaries and indirectly by raising awareness and respect for the Naxi ethnic traditions.
