The Role of Social Entrepreneurs in Lessening Poverty in Sri Lanka

Abstract

This research examines the role of Sri Lankan social entrepreneurs in lessening poverty. No poverty is the first goal of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and it is the most compelling issue of the twentieth century. Millions of people suffer worldwide, unable to obtain basic human needs such as food, clean water, and sanitation. The World Bank has categorized poverty into two groups: absolute poverty and relative poverty. Absolute poverty refers to having a lack of resources to meet physical needs. In contrast, relative poverty refers to having a lack of resources to live a life relevant to their social status. Social entrepreneurship is about recognizing social problems and achieving social change by employing entrepreneurial principles and operations. The qualitative research method, particularly a discourse analysis, was adopted to collect and analyze data through the lens of Giddens’ structuration theory. Data were collected from four speeches and discussions of social entrepreneurs published as videos on the internet. Findings revealed that social entrepreneurs play a leading role in recreating social systems, providing entrepreneurial skills, and supplying health and education to people. They also teach people to stand on their own two feet and empower ‘others’ to help solve their challenges and create a new future. Social entrepreneurs bring value to the continuous fight against poverty. This research has theoretical and public policy implications. In terms of the theoretical debate, the study contributes to the literature by using Giddens’ structuration theory as a theoretical framework that fosters social entrepreneurial activity in Sri Lankan contexts. From a policymaker’s perspective, this research should be taken into account for the design of policies to support social entrepreneurship by considering the contribution to eradicating poverty.