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Alleviating poverty: entrepreneurship and social capital in rural Denmark 1800-1900

Gunnar Lind Haase Svendsen, Gert Tinggaard Svendsen · 2001 · BELGEO

Summary. Social capital—built through formal cooperative associations with written rules—motivated rural entrepreneurs to organize collective action in 19th-century Denmark. Peasants formed cooperative groups that provided public goods and drove economic growth in poor agricultural areas, solving the puzzle of why individuals voluntarily contribute to collective efforts despite negative personal economic incentives.

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Svendsen, G. L. H., & Svendsen, G. T.. (2001). Alleviating poverty: entrepreneurship and social capital in rural Denmark 1800-1900. BELGEO. https://doi.org/10.4000/belgeo.15118

Details

DOI
10.4000/belgeo.15118
Countries
Denmark
Regions
Europe
Categories
entrepreneurship, innovation-networks, regional-innovation-systems
Added
2026-04-28