Social innovation. Redesigning the welfare diamond Jane Jenson Département de science politique Université de Montréal www.cccg.umontreal.ca Canada-Europe Transatlantic Dialogue http://labs.carleton.ca/canadaeurope/ Prepared for the Conference: Social Frontiers: The Next Edge of Social Innovation Research, London, England, 14-15 November 2013.

Why this title? Social innovation = generation, experimentation and application of new practices for addressing societal challenges (NESTA)

Social in its ends and means Social innovation is a “quasi concept” Characterised by definitional polysemy But useful for community-building and policy cohesion

Why this focus on “new” or novel or innovative? Because the challenges are themselves novel in many

ways: New social relations and political institutions and actors New social risks, compared to 1940s-1960s

Exploding economies – growth (in some) / crisis (in others).

As neoliberalism hit the wall,

there has been a return to thinking about how to foster “well-being”

Social innovation is one of “the socials.”

Meant to make its contribution to social development / human development as well as limiting forms of exclusion & fostering social cohesion.

BUT HOW?

state

The rest of the title is the “how”

Sources of well-being Social innovation focuses on processes of market-making and market-regulation in the welfare diamond. Multiple actors / varied relations in the welfare mix.

market family

community

Why the market corner? Social innovation provides responses to market failure and opportunities.

Mobilizing Private Capital for Public Good The

private sector

But also a shift in the public sector

A non-profit childcare centre – financed with public funds. Québec’s économie sociale et solidaire in action.

The goal is to improve the market corner – by involving the community and state as well as the private sector

1. Via support for social entrepreneurship Modification of idea sets – eg The Oslo Manuel; eg more than the profit

motive. Social business / social enterprise initiatives. Recognition of the social and solidarity economy as a potential

well-spring of training, employment and integration into the labour market.

2. Via improvements in financing social innovations Part of profits for social purposes Alternative banking forms Impact bonds Public funds for market activities.

Is this enough to address new social risks and meet the goals of

“the socials”? Not alone • Social investments (that is, modified and modernised

social policy) also necessary Modified market principles can rework much but not all.

Not simply by leaving it to the market corner of the welfare diamond, even with social entrepreneurs • Well-being for decades has depended on a balanced

welfare mix supporting the public and community corners as well as the family. They have, in part, “kept markets to their corner” and allowed the others to thrive.