The social economy, the new social economy and economic sociology.

As a segment of the contemporary third sector, the social economy has been in existence for a long time now. But there is little agreement about how t o define it - as an academic discipline or an economic sector? The terms of the debates surrounding the origins of social economy are reviewed; and th e socio-economic reality, which since the 1980s has been called the 'new so cial economy', is described. (C) 2000 Editions scientifiques et medicales E lsevier SAS.