Social Innovation in Urban and Rural Areas: Empowerment, (Disruptive) Transformative Processes and Impact on Community Development

A special issue of Societies (ISSN 2075-4698).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2024) | Viewed by 10053

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
1. Leibniz Institute for Research on Society and Space, 15537 Erkner, Germany
2. Department of Sociology, Technical University of Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany
Interests: social innovation; processes of innovation; community development in urban and rural areas; social constructions of space; digitalization of human action

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Guest Editor
Department of Applied Social Sciences, Munich University of Applied Sciences, 81243 München, Germany
Interests: social and sustainable transformations in urban and rural areas; spatial planning processes and planning theory; social innovation; community and neighbourhood development; methods of spatial analysis

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Guest Editor
Leibniz Institute for Research on Society and Space, 15537 Erkner, Germany
Interests: urban and rural sociology; social innovation; socioecological transformation; social entrepreneurship; participation research

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Urban and rural regions face diverse and complex challenges. Many actors involved in community development and spatial planning are therefore looking for novel solutions that can better address existing problems. In increasingly unfolding societal and scientific discourses on the topic, high hopes are placed on the potential of social innovations. It is typically assumed that socially innovative initiatives can bring empowerment to the actors involved, generate transformative—if not disruptive—dynamics, and bring about beneficial community development. Rarely, however, is there a concrete description of how these assumptions can be coherently conceptualized, which methodological research designs can be used to investigate, and to what extent they are de facto empirically evidenced or which systematic findings we already have about them.

The Special Issue aims to address these gaps. The focus will therefore be on how the empowerment of people, (disruptive) transformative processes, and the impact on community development can be understood in the context of social innovations. Spatially, the Special Issue will consider both urban and rural communities, including villages and small- and medium-sized towns.

On the one hand, contributions will be collected that are primarily theoretical and/or methodological in nature. Papers may address, but are not limited to:

  • How can empowerment, (disruptive) transformative processes, and/or impact on community development be thought of in theoretical/conceptual terms in the context of social innovation?
  • How can these phenomena be investigated in methodological terms?

On the other hand, empirical articles will be included as well. Based on collected data and case studies, they should answer one or more of the following questions using the example of socially innovative initiatives in urban and/or rural areas:

  • How is empowerment empirically manifested in the context of social innovative initiatives? Who is empowered, and who is not? In what ways does empowerment occur? How was it achieved, and were there any specific measures to actively support empowerment? Are there facilitating or hindering factors or even limits to empowerment? Is empowerment perceived by the actors themselves, and if so, how? Which role did traditional or new power relations and controversies play in social innovation?
  • How can transformative processes be described empirically in the context of social innovative initiatives? What has changed in concrete terms? How did the change take place (in which steps, disruptively or rather incrementally)? What exactly is the 'transformative' character of the social innovative initiatives? How stable has the transformation proven to be so far?
  • Can the impact of socially innovative initiatives on community development be described? If not, what could be the reasons? If yes, which impact can be observed? What exactly could be further developed and how, or what developments could be triggered? What part did empowerment play in this? How is the impact perceived or evaluated by the actors themselves and by third parties (who were not involved)?

It is of course possible to discuss conceptual and/or methodological aspects in empirical contributions.

Contributions have to follow one of the three categories of papers (article, conceptual paper or review) for the journal and address the topic of the special issue.

Prof. Dr. Gabriela Christmann
Prof. Dr. Ariane Sept
Dr. Ralph Richter
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • urban and rural areas
  • social innovation
  • empowerment
  • transformative processes
  • disruption
  • impact on community development

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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15 pages, 1142 KiB  
Article
Participatory Methodologies as People-Centered Social Innovation: Listening to Voices of People in Policy Practice
by Swati Banerjee, P. K. Shajahan, Pravin Ghunnar and Mariya Shaikh
Societies 2024, 14(12), 256; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14120256 - 29 Nov 2024
Viewed by 795
Abstract
Participatory methodology is an important methodological paradigm to understand the diversity and plurality of people’s knowledge. Through a policy study, this article explores the creativity and dynamism of participatory methodology to center people and their voices, and conceptualises the same as people-centered social [...] Read more.
Participatory methodology is an important methodological paradigm to understand the diversity and plurality of people’s knowledge. Through a policy study, this article explores the creativity and dynamism of participatory methodology to center people and their voices, and conceptualises the same as people-centered social innovation (PCSI). The process of engagement elucidated in the article is not only a new way of performing research but also a process of co-creating tangible outcomes of the research in the form of a policy which affects the life and livelihood of the community in question. The empirical evidence is drawn from the study referred to here, ‘Compensation Policy and its Implementation Plan for Project Affected Fisherfolk of Mumbai Coastal Road Project (South)’. The article highlights the use of an optimal mix of different participatory tools and the nature of community engagement as social innovation in understanding the experiences of the fisherfolk and their lives and livelihoods and how it was impacted by the said project, subsequently co-creating a compensation policy for the affected communities. The approach adopted in the study attempts to reimagine empirical studies with a social innovation frame as ‘doing’ people-centered social innovation, which gives voice and visibility to the project-affected fishing communities in particular and marginalised actors in general in policy and practice in claiming their rights and entitlements. Through this process of co-production of knowledge, the study captured the multi-faceted impact of the project on the lives and livelihoods of various actors in the value chain, thereby paving the way for individualized compensation rather than household compensation, as is the case with many compensation policies in vogue. Full article
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15 pages, 1020 KiB  
Article
A Gendered Lens on Mediation and Market Governance: Experiences of Women Market Vendors in Papua New Guinea
by Wilma Langa, Jackie Kauli and Verena Thomas
Societies 2024, 14(8), 155; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14080155 - 18 Aug 2024
Viewed by 660
Abstract
The majority of market vendors at urban informal markets in Papua New Guinea are women. They face vulnerabilities related to safety, security and infrastructural support. They operate within male-dominated mediation structures where women’s contributions to mediation and market governance are often invisible. However, [...] Read more.
The majority of market vendors at urban informal markets in Papua New Guinea are women. They face vulnerabilities related to safety, security and infrastructural support. They operate within male-dominated mediation structures where women’s contributions to mediation and market governance are often invisible. However, in this article, we demonstrate how women market vendors contribute to the social aspect of market governance, particularly addressing issues of law and order within Awagasi market. Through the efforts of women vendors in mediation and conflict management, safety in the market and normal operation of the informal market have improved. The study involved 18 women market vendors, as well as male market vendors, at Awagasi market. It used focus group discussions, interviews and creative mapping to examine the different roles of women market vendors regarding mediation and market governance at Awagasi market. The study revealed the different roles women play and their social innovations in keeping peace and order in the market. Recognising women’s agency in conflict management can support the promotion and strengthening of safe market spaces in urban environments. Full article
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22 pages, 374 KiB  
Article
Potential for Frugal Innovation in a Brazilian Regional System: A Study Based on a Multicriteria Approach
by Gabriel Gomes Moreira, Robério José Rogério dos Santos, Victor Diogho Heuer de Carvalho, Francisco José Peixoto Rosário and Agnaldo José dos Santos
Societies 2024, 14(6), 95; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14060095 - 20 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1147
Abstract
Regional innovation systems (RISs) can stimulate knowledge sharing and collaboration, attracting investments and promoting economic and social progress. This is often linked to what is known as frugal innovation, involving small businesses developing and selling sustainable, low-cost products that meet local needs. This [...] Read more.
Regional innovation systems (RISs) can stimulate knowledge sharing and collaboration, attracting investments and promoting economic and social progress. This is often linked to what is known as frugal innovation, involving small businesses developing and selling sustainable, low-cost products that meet local needs. This study aims to present and apply a model to measure regional innovation potential, using a multicriteria approach based on the principles of frugal innovation (FI). The analytical hierarchical process (AHP) was used to generate factor weights, enabling score calculation to provide insights into FI potential on a literature-based five-point scale. Data were collected in two stages: (i) from twelve main participants—working in a rural RIS—who responded to a questionnaire, and (ii) from cities through official government channels to collect information about their innovation development initiatives. The results reveal that the RIS analyzed still lacks assistance in the development of public policies to support the development of an innovative culture, indicating the need for appropriate mechanisms to boost innovation actions. The outputs of this study can help cities and regions to analyze their innovation potential, assist public managers in decision-making, support the creation of innovation-stimulating mechanisms, help RISs to address deficiencies, and promote local development. Full article
15 pages, 495 KiB  
Article
Rural–Urban Features of Social Innovation: An Exploratory Study of Work Integration Social Enterprises in Ireland
by Lucas Olmedo, María José Ruiz-Rivera, Mary O’Shaughnessy and Georgios Chatzichristos
Societies 2024, 14(6), 82; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14060082 - 5 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1197
Abstract
Geography is a significant element of social innovation. This paper focuses on exploring differences and similarities in the characteristics and contributions towards impact of Work Integration Social Enterprises (WISEs), a form of social innovation which provides otherwise unmet services and opportunities to people [...] Read more.
Geography is a significant element of social innovation. This paper focuses on exploring differences and similarities in the characteristics and contributions towards impact of Work Integration Social Enterprises (WISEs), a form of social innovation which provides otherwise unmet services and opportunities to people at risk of social and economic exclusion and distant from the labour market, in rural and urban areas of Ireland. To do so, we use data from 336 surveys from urban (213) and rural (123) WISEs and conduct an exploratory and spatially sensitive analysis to compare the characteristics, in terms of organisational age, legal and governance form, multiplicity of activities, revenue diversification; and contributions towards impact, in terms of geographical focus/reach, employment, volunteers, and income generation. Our analysis shows that WISEs in urban and rural areas present rather similar organisational characteristics and ways of functioning (legal structure, multiactivity, multiple sources of funding), but their contributions to socioeconomic impact differ according to their spatial location, with urban WISEs generating significantly more employment and income than their rural counterparts. Our study illustrates that socially innovative organisations are spatially sensitive, and that context influences their capacity to create sustainable employment opportunities and contribute to the local economy. Full article
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20 pages, 1394 KiB  
Article
Transforming the Creative and Social Entrepreneurial Ecosystem: The Broker Roles of Rural Collaborative Workspaces
by Chen Gao and Eleonora Psenner
Societies 2024, 14(6), 81; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14060081 - 30 May 2024
Viewed by 1036
Abstract
Creative social enterprises are increasingly emerging in rural regions, motivated by a desire to take social responsibility through creative approaches. These enterprises integrate entrepreneurial activities with creative social attributes and are sometimes set in rural collaborative workspaces (CWSs) facilitating entrepreneurial activities. Under the [...] Read more.
Creative social enterprises are increasingly emerging in rural regions, motivated by a desire to take social responsibility through creative approaches. These enterprises integrate entrepreneurial activities with creative social attributes and are sometimes set in rural collaborative workspaces (CWSs) facilitating entrepreneurial activities. Under the frame of entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs), we argue that CWSs can be seen as brokers, who (1) link resources as liaisons, (2) hold and pass resources as gatekeepers, (3) enhance resource flows as coordinators, and (4) reproduce experiences as representatives. Against this backdrop, this paper presents a case study of two creative social enterprises in a CWS with a cooperative structure in rural Upper Austria by analyzing entrepreneurial biographies about the demand and use of entrepreneurial resources. Through a comparison between before and after the emergence of the CWS, the findings suggest that the EE for creative and social entrepreneurship undergoes two different types of transformation, a radical and a gradual one. The brokerage process of the CWS enhances local resource networks’ transformation of EE and brings the transformation in terms of translocal resources and integral EE of enterprises in the CWS. Additionally, the CWS generates social impacts on the local community through social enterprises. This paper contributes to ecosystem literature by introducing an actor-centric perspective and giving new insights into social entrepreneurship and the transformative power of CWSs as brokers. Full article
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22 pages, 319 KiB  
Article
Valuation in Rural Social Innovation Processes—Analysing Micro-Impact of a Collaborative Community in Southern Italy
by Federica Ammaturo and Suntje Schmidt
Societies 2024, 14(6), 76; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14060076 - 27 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1220
Abstract
Social innovation has been associated with contributing to ‘valuable’ rural development; however, usually, the impact of social innovation has been identified in the aftermath of its development or implementation. This might be too narrow an approach, as an ongoing social innovation process in [...] Read more.
Social innovation has been associated with contributing to ‘valuable’ rural development; however, usually, the impact of social innovation has been identified in the aftermath of its development or implementation. This might be too narrow an approach, as an ongoing social innovation process in itself may already lead to effects that contribute to regional and social changes in a local community and beyond. This paper argues that collaborative valuation processes are embedded in social innovation processes, generating effects that contribute to rural development. Focusing on a case study that exemplifies social innovation processes in agriculture and food production carried out by a rural collaborative community in southern Italy, we demonstrate how three valuation phases, such as contestations and negotiations of norms, symbolic capital accumulation and recognition of actions, as well as re-definitions of values, impact community development through joint sense-making, empowerment and societal change. Our empirical results suggest the close intertwining of both social innovation and valuation processes. The empirical results demonstrate how collective valuation processes have micro-effects on the agro-economic system, on local socio-cultural processes, and on place-making activities. Methodologically, this paper builds on ethnographic methods, including participatory observations, semi-structured interviews, oral histories, and socio-spatial analysis investigating moments of valuation embedded in daily collaborative practices. Full article
23 pages, 461 KiB  
Article
Socially Innovative Initiatives in Deprived Rural Areas of Germany, Ireland and Portugal: Exploring Empowerment and Impact on Community Development
by Gabriela Christmann, Ariane Sept and Ralph Richter
Societies 2024, 14(5), 58; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14050058 - 28 Apr 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1642
Abstract
In many (remote) rural areas of Europe and the world, rural communities are facing various challenges. One response is residents leaving their communities. However, there are also many empirical examples of residents staying, launching project initiatives, developing new solutions and experimenting with new [...] Read more.
In many (remote) rural areas of Europe and the world, rural communities are facing various challenges. One response is residents leaving their communities. However, there are also many empirical examples of residents staying, launching project initiatives, developing new solutions and experimenting with new practices. This is what we call social innovation. What experiences do actors have in these processes? Can we speak of empowerment? To what extent can such initiatives have an impact on community development? In this article, we explore these questions, for which there is little related empirical research. By applying a multi-sited individualising comparison to case studies in three European countries (Germany, Ireland and Portugal), we obtain empirical evidence of the following dimensions of empowerment that Avelino et al. outline conceptually: the achievement of autonomy, competence and relatedness and also impact, meaning and resilience. Often, however, it is not the individual actors for whom such effects can be reported. Rather, the social initiative as such or the local administration has acquired new skills and autonomy. Regarding community development, ‘pathways to impact’, such as infrastructure improvements and/or the creation of new employment opportunities and/or the influx of new residents, could be identified. However, this development often depended on both opportunity and the cooperation and goodwill of many stakeholders. Full article

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18 pages, 278 KiB  
Concept Paper
The Impact of Dissonance? A Valuation Perspective on Rural Social Innovation Processes
by Jonathan Hussels, Ralph Richter and Suntje Schmidt
Societies 2024, 14(7), 122; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14070122 - 16 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 878
Abstract
Social innovation (SI) has been credited with fostering novel solutions to the socio-economic challenges many rural areas face. The quest for a substantiated understanding of its potential for regional development has spawned a rich literature on SI impact assessments. Yet, having been instrumental, [...] Read more.
Social innovation (SI) has been credited with fostering novel solutions to the socio-economic challenges many rural areas face. The quest for a substantiated understanding of its potential for regional development has spawned a rich literature on SI impact assessments. Yet, having been instrumental, these assessments harbour several ambiguities as they seek to unveil objective impacts in a results-oriented manner. First, SI processes take diverse directionalities, questioning the idea of them being ‘straightforward facts’ and giving leeway to a more constructivist understanding. Second, a results-oriented perspective tends to obscure social processes that initially contribute to the emergence of impacts. In response to such concerns, we suggest a valuation perspective that explores how SI impacts are constructed iteratively throughout the innovation process. To do so, we operationalise the notion of dissonance as a critical factor embedded in innovative activities in three instances: impulses, turning points, and lock-ins. This perspective allows us to study how value is experienced, assigned, and strategically attracted while shedding light on how SI processes and their impacts are co-constructed in valuation processes. The article uses empirical vignettes from selected case studies with SI initiatives in Northern Germany. Full article
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