A co-operative society is a society where everybody works together. The etymology of the word co-operative demonstrates this. Co means together, whilst operative comes from the Latin word for to work.
Co-operation can happen in both formal and informal ways in a society. Laws may be laid down to encourage people to co-operate, but at the same time, people can lend each other a helping hand in a more informal fashion.
Co-operation has many benefits for society. It helps society to work more efficiently, for example, and it also makes citizens into a happy, cohesive group.
Co-operative societies can take many political forms. However, for a society to be truly co-operative, everyone must be working together, including those who are right at the top of the social ladder.
So, in sum, a co-operative society:
- Is a society where everyone works together for a good purpose.
- Can take various political forms as long as it adheres to this principle of co-operation.
- Is a beneficial form of society for the society as a whole.
- Is a beneficial form of society for individual citizens in the society.
- Is something that we can all start working towards achieving right now.
‘Laura’