Between innovation and restoration; towards a critical-historicizing understanding of social innovation niches

ABSTRACT

Social innovation (SI) is gaining attention as an innovation category. However, the SI concept proves vulnerable to stereotypical understandings. Next to the radically novel, diffusion-oriented and thereby manifestly innovative social ‘niches’, it is important to also acknowledge the rather latent SI phenomena of restoration and shielding. This paper therefore develops a critical-historicizing perspective that highlights the social construction of innovations in social relations. Building on scholarship in Strategic Niche Management, grassroots innovation and critical innovation studies, four ‘shapes of social innovation’ are distinguished. Substantiating and deepening this conceptual classification through empirical evidence on 20 SI initiatives, the analysis highlights how social innovations may take on several of the theorised appearances throughout their existence in society (shapeshifting). Disclosing overlooked SI phenomena, this critical-historicizing understanding informs more comprehensive and balanced SI research and practice.

KEYWORDS:

• Social innovation
• Strategic niche Management
• innovation history
• reinvention

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes on contributors

Dr. Bonno Pel is a postdoctoral researcher at the Université Libre de Bruxelles. Having a background in environmental planning, political philosophy and public administration, his research focuses on the politics and governance of sustainability transitions.

René Kemp is Professorial fellow at the UNU Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT) and Professor of Innovation and Sustainable Development at ICIS, Maastricht University. He is well known for his work on eco-innovation, environmental policy, strategic niche management and transition management – on which he authored numerous articles and books. His research interests are environmental policy and technical change, technological transitions, innovation policy, evolutionary theories of technical change and reflexive governance.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by EU FP7 Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration: [Grant Number 613169].