Lionel Widmer | Contributor
Featured image: Hossein is an executive board member of the Harriet Tubman Institute. | Courtesy of York Media
York professor Caroline Shenaz Hossein has won the prestigious Helen Potter Award for her article “‘Big Man’ politics in the social economy: a case study of microfinance in Kingston, Jamaica.”
Named after economist Helen Potter, the award recognizes excellence in scholarship that confronts mainstream economics.
Hossein, from the department of Social Science in the faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, or LA&PS, is only the ninth woman to be granted the award since its creation in 1975. Winners are chosen from entrants all over the world.
The award comes with a plaque and a $500 cash prize and is presented each year by the Association for Social Economics, or ASE, to the best article in the Review of Social Economy.
Hossein utilized her own experience in the African diaspora, particularily with black liberation and feminist theory to focus on diverse community economies, with specific attention to the intersection of identities such as race, class and gender.
She noted that the award has helped provide wider awareness of Jamaican economics.
“It shows that elites can corrupt the social economy from within. This is occurring in a field that’s supposed to be helping some of the most marginalized people,” she said.
“When social economy institutions are beholden to politics, this further marginalizes the very people they are intended to help.
“Many things in the social economy work great; however, this particular case demonstrates that partisan and informal politics can interfere with the way community organizes.”
Hossein is an executive board member of the Harriet Tubman Institute for Research on Africa and its Diaspora and the Centre for Feminist Research at York. She has over 10 years’ experience as a practitioner in economic development in over 20 countries.
In a statement, Sandra Whitworth, associate dean of graduate studies and research in LA&PS, emphasized the importance of Hossein’s research.
“The work of Professor Hossein […] has been lauded for its theoretical sophistication and empirical rigour. Her work is inspiring and we’re proud of her many accomplishments and congratulate her on this new accolade.”
The ASE was founded in 1941 to promote high-quality research into the study of ethical and social causes and the consequences of economic behaviour, institutions, organizations, theory and policy.
