Social Innovation in the Service of Social and Ecological Transformation

Social Innovation in the Service of Social and Ecological Transformation PDF Author: Olivier De Schutter
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1000513912
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 110

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Book Description
This book explores how the State can play a role as an enabler of citizens-led social innovations, to accelerate the shift to sustainable and socially just lifestyles. To meet the twin challenges of environmental degradation and the rise of inequalities, societal transformation is urgent. Most theories of social change focus either on the role of the State, on the magic of the market, or on the power of technological innovation. This book explores instead how local communities, given the freedom to experiment, can design solutions that can have a transformative impact. Change cannot rely only on central ordering by government, nor on corporations suddenly acting as responsible citizens. Societal transformation, at the speed and scope required, also should be based on the reconstitution of social capital, and on new forms of democracy emerging from collective action at the local level. The State matters of course, for the provision of both public services and of social protection, and to discipline the market, but it should also act as an enabler of citizen-led experimentation, and it should set up an institutional apparatus to ensure that collective learning spreads across jurisdictions. Corporations themselves can ensure that society taps the full potential of citizens-led social innovations: they can put their know-how, their access to finance, and their control of logistical chains in the service of such innovations, rather than focusing on shaping consumers’ tastes or even adapting to consumers’ shifting expectations. With this aim in mind, this book provides empirical evidence of how social innovations, typically developed within "niches", initially at a relatively small scale, can have society-wide impacts. It also examines the nature of the activism deployed by social innovators, and the emergence of a "do-it-yourself" form of democracy. This book will appeal to all those interested in driving societal change and social innovation to ensure a sustainable and socially just future for all.

Social Innovation in the Service of Social and Ecological Transformation

Social Innovation in the Service of Social and Ecological Transformation PDF Author: Olivier De Schutter
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1000513912
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 110

Get Book Here

Book Description
This book explores how the State can play a role as an enabler of citizens-led social innovations, to accelerate the shift to sustainable and socially just lifestyles. To meet the twin challenges of environmental degradation and the rise of inequalities, societal transformation is urgent. Most theories of social change focus either on the role of the State, on the magic of the market, or on the power of technological innovation. This book explores instead how local communities, given the freedom to experiment, can design solutions that can have a transformative impact. Change cannot rely only on central ordering by government, nor on corporations suddenly acting as responsible citizens. Societal transformation, at the speed and scope required, also should be based on the reconstitution of social capital, and on new forms of democracy emerging from collective action at the local level. The State matters of course, for the provision of both public services and of social protection, and to discipline the market, but it should also act as an enabler of citizen-led experimentation, and it should set up an institutional apparatus to ensure that collective learning spreads across jurisdictions. Corporations themselves can ensure that society taps the full potential of citizens-led social innovations: they can put their know-how, their access to finance, and their control of logistical chains in the service of such innovations, rather than focusing on shaping consumers’ tastes or even adapting to consumers’ shifting expectations. With this aim in mind, this book provides empirical evidence of how social innovations, typically developed within "niches", initially at a relatively small scale, can have society-wide impacts. It also examines the nature of the activism deployed by social innovators, and the emergence of a "do-it-yourself" form of democracy. This book will appeal to all those interested in driving societal change and social innovation to ensure a sustainable and socially just future for all.

Social Innovation as Political Transformation

Social Innovation as Political Transformation PDF Author: Pieter Van den Broeck
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN: 178897428X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 223

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Book Description
This book is an introduction to the works of a collective of academics on social innovation and socio-political transformation. It offers a critique of the dominance of market-based logics and extractivism in the age of neoliberalism. Calling for systemic change, the authors invite the reader to engage in the analysis and practice of socially innovative initiatives and, by doing so, contribute to the co-construction of a sustainable, solidarity-based and regenerative society.

Social Innovation

Social Innovation PDF Author: A. Nicholls
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 0230367097
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 318

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Book Description
Focusing on social innovation broadly conceived in the context of social entrepreneurship and social enterprise in their global context this book is organised to address three of the most important themes in social innovation: strategies and logics, performance measurement and governance, and finally, sustainability and the environment.

Social Innovation in Higher Education

Social Innovation in Higher Education PDF Author: Carmen Păunescu
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030840441
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 316

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Book Description
This open access book offers unique and novel views on the social innovation landscape, tools, practices, pedagogies, and research in the context of higher education. International, multi-disciplinary academics and industry leaders present new developments, research evidence, and practice expertise on social innovation in higher education institutions (HEIs), across academic and professional disciplines. The book includes a selected set of peer-reviewed chapters presenting different perspectives against which relevant actors can identify and analyse social innovation in HEIs. The volume demonstrates how HEIs can respond to societal challenges, support positive social change, and contribute to the development of international public policy discourse. It answers the question ‘how does the present higher education system, in different countries, promote social innovation and create social change and impact’. In answering this question, the book identifies factors driving success as well as obstacles. Furthermore, it examines how higher education innovation assists societal challenges and investigates the benefits of effective social innovation engagement by HEIs. The interdisciplinary approach of the volume makes it a must-read for scholars, students, policy-makers, and practitioners of economics, education, business and management, political science, and sociology interested in a better understanding of social innovation.

Innovation for Sustainability

Innovation for Sustainability PDF Author: Nancy Bocken
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319973851
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 468

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Book Description
The aim of this edited book is to provide a comprehensive overview of the opportunities and challenges related to innovation for sustainability. Combining work from both emerging and established scholars in different academic fields, this book provides an integrated understanding of the topic from four perspectives. First, the big picture: frameworks, types, and drivers; second, strategy and leadership; third, measurement and assessment and fourth, tools, methods and technologies. Chapter 11 of this book is available open access under a CC BY 4.0 license at link.springer.com. The editors donate their remuneration for this book to conservation organisation the WWF.

Towards a Natural Social Contract

Towards a Natural Social Contract PDF Author: Patrick Huntjens
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030671305
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 212

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Book Description
This open access book is a 2022 Nautilus Gold Medal winner in the category "World Cultures' Transformational Growth & Development". It states that the societal fault lines of our times are deeply intertwined and that they confront us with challenges affecting the security, fairness and sustainability of our societies. The author, Prof. Dr. Patrick Huntjens, argues that overcoming these existential challenges will require a fundamental shift from our current anthropocentric and economic growth-oriented approach to a more ecocentric and regenerative approach. He advocates for a Natural Social Contract that emphasizes long-term sustainability and the general welfare of both humankind and planet Earth. Achieving this crucial balance calls for an end to unlimited economic growth, overconsumption and over-individualisation for the benefit of ourselves, our planet, and future generations. To this end, sustainability, health, and justice in all social-ecological systems will require systemic innovation and prioritizing a collective effort. The Transformative Social-Ecological Innovation (TSEI) framework presented in this book serves that cause. It helps to diagnose and advance innovation and spur change across sectors, disciplines, and at different levels of governance. Altogether, TSEI identifies intervention points and formulates jointly developed and shared solutions to inform policymakers, administrators, concerned citizens, and professionals dedicated towards a more sustainable, healthy and just society. A wide readership of students, researchers, practitioners and policy makers interested in social innovation, transition studies, development studies, social policy, social justice, climate change, environmental studies, political science and economics will find this cutting-edge book particularly useful. “As a sustainability transition researcher, I am truly excited about this book. Two unique aspects of the book are that it considers bigger transformation issues (such as societies’ relationship with nature, purpose and justice) than those studied in transition studies and offers analytical frameworks and methods for taking up the challenge of achieving change on the ground.” - Prof. Dr. René Kemp, United Nations University and Maastricht Sustainability Institute

Innovation in Forestry

Innovation in Forestry PDF Author: Gerhard Weiss
Publisher: CABI
ISBN: 1845936892
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 343

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Book Description
Innovation in Forestry Territorial and Value Chain Relationships Edited by Gerhard Weiss, Davide Pettenella, Pekka Ollonqvist and Bill Slee Innovation is increasingly recognized as a key factor in environmental protection and sustainable development in forestry and forest-based industries. This volume provides a comprehensive theoretical foundation for the analysis of innovation processes and policies in a traditional, rural sector as well as presenting empirical analyses of innovation processes from major innovation areas. Innovative solutions are analysed in wood-related value chains, including timber-frame construction, furniture, bio-energy and forest transportation. Territorial services of the forest sector are examined, including various types of forest ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, non-wood products and recreation. Innovation in Forestry is essential reading for researchers and policy makers in forestry and environmental sciences.

Sustainability Science for Strong Sustainability

Sustainability Science for Strong Sustainability PDF Author: Tom Dedeurwaerdere
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN: 1783474564
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 176

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Book Description
øThe dynamism of science has been catalytic for human prosperity in recent history. Conventional perspectives of the ivory tower model of modern science are, however, rivalled by the failure of humanity to tackle global crises of an economic, environme

Political Change through Social Innovation

Political Change through Social Innovation PDF Author: Moulaert, Frank
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN: 1803925140
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 176

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Book Description
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.

Adaptive Co-Management

Adaptive Co-Management PDF Author: Derek Armitage
Publisher: UBC Press
ISBN: 0774859725
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 362

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Book Description
In Canada and around the world, new concerns with adaptive processes, feedback learning, and flexible partnerships are reshaping environmental governance. Meanwhile, ideas about collaboration and learning are converging around the idea of adaptive co-management. This book provides a comprehensive synthesis of the core concepts, strategies, and tools in this emerging field, informed by a diverse group of researchers and practitioners with over two decades of experience. It also offers a diverse set of case studies that reveal the challenges and implications of adaptive co-management thinking.