Not left behind for sure: Towards holistic inclusion of the marginalized through Work Integration Social Enterprises (WISE)

Abstract

This Integrative Literature Review addresses the dual need created by (1) conflicting views on whether and how Work Integration Social Enterprise (WISE) achieves its primary mission of social inclusion of the marginalized, and (2) the lacunae of theoretically supported explanations. It annotates, critiques, and synthesizes evidence from select literature while applying Pierre Bourdieu’s (1977) concept of cultural capital to gain a novel conceptual and nuanced understanding of social inclusion. The findings present a heuristic Resource Accrual Model, synthesizing the various means by which the accrual of embodied cultural capital of the marginalized and their enablers is facilitated through WISE, aiding the perception of holistic social inclusion. Apart from extending the seminal theory of Pierre Bourdieu (1977), this research contributes to social enterprise literature while presenting practical solutions to promote social inclusion, at the heart of the United Nation’s sustainable development goals.