The relational sociology of eco-innovation

Abstract

While sociology often adopts a firm's capacity perspective when looking at innovation, this article intends to provide a relational perspective on innovation stemming from the relational sociology of Norbert Elias. Taking the example of a German scrap metal recycling network, understood here as an eco-innovation, the article strives to conceptually re-embed innovation in socio-historical contexts. This re-embedding also includes examining the role of values during innovation-creating processes, which is treated with great ambiguity in the eco-innovation literature. Despite showing that ecologic values play a minor role in the eco-innovation process, the article points to that the eco-innovation is deeply related to complex historical developments which comprise scientific knowledge creation.