Mercados de trocas e moedas sociais em Portugal continental: os desafios de uma cultura de emancipação social

By proposing new forms of sociability, the solidarity exchange trading networks usually adopt a non-capitalist logic of functioning, which means other ways of producing and reproducing material life. This social phenomenon is usually linked to the need for purchasing basic goods in situations of economic vulnerability. Despite this trend, these exchange circuits, also named exchange fairs, not solely create a virtuous circle of abundance but also make us rethink the current consumption practices. Nowadays, we have observed the emergence and the relatively fast growth of solidarity exchange initiatives in Portugal which stand out due to their capacity for creating, mobilising and strengthening the networks in the community. Some of them have adopted social currencies in order to facilitate the circulation of goods and services. In this paper, we aim to propose an exploratory survey regarding the social currencies in Portugal, discussing their role and receptiveness by exchange fairs. We also intend to know to what extent it is possible to think of social emancipation within the framework of these economic initiatives. Keywords: exchange systems, social currencies, emancipation.