Abstract

Social entrepreneurship has become a global trend. In Egypt, the discourse of social entrepreneurship has started to attract attention of national and international development arms. With the increase in the numbers of social enterprises that work on offering educational services in Egypt, there was a need to explore their educational impact to better estimate their potentials as emerging kinds of social organizations. This study critically examines the issue of education-oriented social enterprises in Egypt. Methodologically, a qualitative embedded research design was employed; semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with six social entrepreneurs representing different enterprises, as well as three representatives from intermediary support organizations; and focus group discussions were conducted with a total of thirty students who were enrolled in three different enterprises. Findings of this research document the positive perceptions and potentials of social enterprises to enhance educational quality. However, in relation to educational equality in Egypt, the results suggest that profitable social enterprises may promote educational stratification among Egyptian students. The study also sheds light on the challenges facing social entrepreneurs and presents a critique of several methodological issues related to the entrepreneurial approach in providing social services.

Department

International & Comparative Education Department

Degree Name

MA in International & Comparative Education

Graduation Date

6-1-2017

Submission Date

June 2017

First Advisor

Megahed, Nagwa

Committee Member 1

Hozayin, Russanne

Committee Member 2

Zaalouk, Malak

Extent

73 p.

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Rights

The author retains all rights with regard to copyright. The author certifies that written permission from the owner(s) of third-party copyrighted matter included in the thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study has been obtained. The author further certifies that IRB approval has been obtained for this thesis, or that IRB approval is not necessary for this thesis. Insofar as this thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study is an educational record as defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 USC 1232g), the author has granted consent to disclosure of it to anyone who requests a copy.

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval

Approval has been obtained for this item

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