Social innovation as a participatory and sociopractical research method?

Abstract

Social innovation has become one of the most active fields of study not only in the field of research on innovation but also in the social sciences in general. Unfortunately, that interest has not led to the development of a theory of social innovation. Currently, it is possible to identify an intense theoretical debate around three fundamental areas of interest: the formulation of definitions and concepts about what social innovation is, the identification of the stages from which social innovation processes run and, finally, the attempt to elaborate integrative models on these phenomena. Different articulation efforts of these focal elements can be verified. A new one that is opening is the reflection on the praxeological character of social innovation, beyond a set of meta-assumptions, explanatory elements or research objectives. In social innovation, significant parallels are recognized with the participatory research and sociopraxis models, in such a way that it is necessary to elaborate the question about whether it is possible to consider social innovation as a method of this type of collective inquiry methodology . The present work proposes a discussion in this sense, using a hermeneutical strategy applied to a systematic and integrative review of the specialized bibliography. In the disciplinary development around the phenomenon of social innovation, it is possible to identify epistemological foundations that allow it to be characterized as its own method of participatory research and specific social sociopraxis for the generation of cultural products with high social impact. However, the dispersion and conceptual and methodological weakness around social innovation are presented as the main obstacle to consolidating it as a method.