The Implicit Normative Assumptions of Social Innovation Research: Embracing the Dark Side

Abstract

This chapter critically appraises the concept and practice of social innovation. Usually discussed in positive terms, the authors ask if there are also drawbacks linked to social innovation. Both the conceptual analysis and the empirical review of findings suggest a number of critical points, such as the implicit values of the concepts; the assumed harmony with economic and technological innovation; the current emphasis on instrumentalising social innovation, for example, through privileging innovations that can be scaled and mainstreamed; and a dominant focus on successful cases, where failure is equally important and more common.