Social Innovation: A Decade of Changes

[PDF] [MORE INFORMATION]

In recent years, many initiatives and events have been carried out to develop pragmatic and participatory solutions to social and environmental problems that have been made more pressing by the crisis and have been addressed inadequately or not at all by either the market or the state.

Social innovations, which are emerging all over the world, are still small in scale, but they are being echoed by changes in thinking and are delivering more and more effective and relevant solutions. The notion has gained ground that social innovation is not only about responding to pressing social needs and addressing the societal challenges of climate change, ageing or poverty, but is also a mechanism for achieving systemic change. It is seen as a way of tackling the underlying causes of social problems rather than just alleviating the symptoms.

Social Innovation: A Decade of Changes discusses the general context in which policies and programmes have emerged and the developments which they relied upon to grow. It focuses on relevant changes that have occurred and are still ongoing. It also suggests some recommendations for future policymakers.