Social innovation (SI) has, in the last decade or so, become an important idea and concept in policy, practice and scholarship surrounding human development. It is often seen as an antidote to narrowly defined technological and market-oriented modes of innovation. Its historical significance and development, tied to centuries of struggles for social change, remain under-appreciated and unacknowledged. This Advanced Introduction explores the historical and contemporary meanings of social innovation and its relationship with political and social movements. It develops an understanding of SI as a form of ethical practice for meeting needs, transforming social relations, and collectively empowering communities to shape the future. Additionally, it proposes that ethical research should aim to be socially innovative in this sense and provides concrete suggestions of how this concern can be embodied in action-research and community development methodologies.
The concept of social innovation offers an alternative perspective on development and territorial transformation, one which foregrounds innovation in social relations. This volume presents a broad-ranging and insightful exploration of social innovation and how it can affect life, society and economy, especially within local communities. It addresses key questions about the nature of social innovation as a process and a strategy and explores what opportunities may exist, or may be generated, for social innovation to nourish human development. It puts forward alternative development options which variously highlight solidarity, co-operation, cultural-artistic endeavour and diversity. In doing so, this book offers a provocative response to the predominant neoliberal economic vision of spatial, economic and social change.
This book addresses the key question of why socially innovative initiatives, including attempts to rejuvenate democracy by introducing new modes of participation, are not leading to a democratization of the State or overcoming the gap between political leaders and people. Offering insights from three leading voices of contemporary social sciences to address the failures of contemporary democracies, the book explores the potentialities of progressive socio-political agendas, strategies, and movements seeking to overcome these failures.
In this book the author seeks to rebut the somewhat fatalistic argument that socio-economic prosperity in the cities can only be achieved by the application of global market-led policies. He argues that urban society and policy makers do have sufficient freedom of action to make local decisions on the economic and social development of deprived neighbourhoods. Drawing on evidence from six major European cities, he demonstrates that their 'Integrated Area Development' strategies, which rely on grassroots democracy and the empowerment of local communities, can deliver a social, economic, and cultural renaissance which meets the needs of the local population more effectively than the market-forces creed.
This book re-evaluates a rich scientific heritage of space- and history-sensitive development theories and produces an integrated methodology for the comparative analysis of urban and regional trajectories within a globalized world. The main argument put forward is that current mainstream analyses of urban and regional development have forgotten this rich heritage and fail to address the connections between different dimensions of development, the role of history and the importance of place and scale relations. The proposed methodology integrates elements from different theories – radical economic geography, regulation approach, cultural political economy, old and new institutionalism – that all share a strong concern with time and space dynamics. They are recombined into an interdisciplinary (meta)theoretical framework, capable of articulating the overall problem of socio-economic development and providing methodological anchors for comparative case-study analysis, while recognizing context specificities. The analytical methodology focuses on key dynamics and relations, such as strategic agency and collective action, institutions and structures, culture and discourse, as well as the tension between path-dependency and path-shaping. The methodology is then applied to eight urban and regional cases, mostly from Western Europe, but also from the United States and China. The case studies confirm the relevance of time- and space-sensitive analysis, not only for understanding development trajectories, but also for policy making. They ultimately highlight that, while post-war institutions were able to address systemic contradictions and foster a relatively inclusive development model, the neoliberal turn has led to reductionist policies that not only have resulted in an increase in social and spatial inequalities, but have also undermined growth and democracy.
Un manuel sur l’innovation sociale destiné à faire référence au plan national et international. Cet ouvrage se présente comme une introduction à l’innovation sociale. Il permet de situer en quoi la dimension sociale de l’innovation vient renouveler l’approche de ce concept. Il explique pourquoi la thématique de l’innovation sociale est apparue dans la période de mutations contemporaines à travers une discussion théorique et montre l’importance pratique qu’elle peut revêtir en s’appuyant sur des exemples de territoires (Flandre et Québec) comme de secteur (services sociaux).
Social innovation (SI) has, in the last decade or so, become an important idea and concept in policy, practice and scholarship surrounding human development. It is often seen as an antidote to narrowly defined technological and market-oriented modes of innovation. Its historical significance and development, tied to centuries of struggles for social change, remain under-appreciated and unacknowledged. This Advanced Introduction explores the historical and contemporary meanings of social innovation and its relationship with political and social movements. It develops an understanding of SI as a form of ethical practice for meeting needs, transforming social relations, and collectively empowering communities to shape the future. Additionally, it proposes that ethical research should aim to be socially innovative in this sense and provides concrete suggestions of how this concern can be embodied in action-research and community development methodologies.
This book re-evaluates a rich scientific heritage of space- and history-sensitive development theories and produces an integrated methodology for the comparative analysis of urban and regional trajectories within a globalized world. The main argument put forward is that current mainstream analyses of urban and regional development have forgotten this rich heritage and fail to address the connections between different dimensions of development, the role of history and the importance of place and scale relations. The proposed methodology integrates elements from different theories – radical economic geography, regulation approach, cultural political economy, old and new institutionalism – that all share a strong concern with time and space dynamics. They are recombined into an interdisciplinary (meta)theoretical framework, capable of articulating the overall problem of socio-economic development and providing methodological anchors for comparative case-study analysis, while recognizing context specificities. The analytical methodology focuses on key dynamics and relations, such as strategic agency and collective action, institutions and structures, culture and discourse, as well as the tension between path-dependency and path-shaping. The methodology is then applied to eight urban and regional cases, mostly from Western Europe, but also from the United States and China. The case studies confirm the relevance of time- and space-sensitive analysis, not only for understanding development trajectories, but also for policy making. They ultimately highlight that, while post-war institutions were able to address systemic contradictions and foster a relatively inclusive development model, the neoliberal turn has led to reductionist policies that not only have resulted in an increase in social and spatial inequalities, but have also undermined growth and democracy.
In this book the author seeks to rebut the somewhat fatalistic argument that socio-economic prosperity in the cities can only be achieved by the application of global market-led policies. He argues that urban society and policy makers do have sufficient freedom of action to make local decisions on the economic and social development of deprived neighbourhoods. Drawing on evidence from six major European cities, he demonstrates that their 'Integrated Area Development' strategies, which rely on grassroots democracy and the empowerment of local communities, can deliver a social, economic, and cultural renaissance which meets the needs of the local population more effectively than the market-forces creed.
Throughout the world, a sense of crisis has settled in like a nightmare that refuses to leave. We look towards the horizon with apprehension. Major changes are afoot. Older industrial regions, once rich and powerful, stand by helplessly as factories close down. Poor countries are sliding into bankruptcy, unable even to feed their populations. In a few scattered enclaves, called ex port platforms, new manufacturing plants spring up overnight: they employ predominantly young, unmarried women and ship their products to unknown destinations overseas. Small companies are eaten up by bigger ones which, in turn, are absorbed by still larger conglomerates. Some industrial sectors are wiped out altogether. Tensions between states are increasing. More and more countries are coming under military rule. Torture and terrorism are turned into tools of official state policy. Civil wars are fought in Central America, Northern Africa, and Southeast Asia. International conflict flares up be tween Britain and Argentina, Iraq and Iran, Ethiopia and Somalia. Economic growth has slowed to a crawl. Inflation undercuts the livelihood of the poor. The small producer is ruined. It appears that we are involved in a major restructuring of the capitalist world. The problems are profits, capital accumulation, and efficiency in pro duction. To make the indicators point up, whole regions are sacrificed, new technologies are put in place, and new locational patterns are created as the world is carved up into a new international division oflabor.
This book addresses the key question of why socially innovative initiatives, including attempts to rejuvenate democracy by introducing new modes of participation, are not leading to a democratization of the State or overcoming the gap between political leaders and people. Offering insights from three leading voices of contemporary social sciences to address the failures of contemporary democracies, the book explores the potentialities of progressive socio-political agendas, strategies, and movements seeking to overcome these failures.
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