New Perspectives in Science Education

The conceptualization of social innovation involves analysis in time and  territory. We need to begin with the concept of innovation before going on to distinguish its economic, technological and social aspects in order to reach the conclusion that the concept of social innovation is nowadays the result of a combination of all of them. Only through a multidisciplinary approach can we come to understand that solutions to social change in a global society require a range of approaches and alternatives that need to join together to achieve results. The public authorities, citizens, businesses and community organisations need to cooperate at the international, national, regional and local levels to achieve these goals.

There is no single concept that defines social innovation. However, and as is the case with many other terms, there are a number of different approaches to it depending on the discipline from which it is addressed (Chambon et al, 1982). Hence understanding the scope of social innovation from a general standpoint involves approaching it from several areas. Firstly, its origins have to be examined in order to find the common factors that have provided uniformity to the concept. Secondly, analysis of the spheres in which it has been carried out is required to comprehend its evolution. Finally, the factors common to all the disciplines in which it plays an active role need to be studied to establish the guidelines to be followed to build a concept of social innovation for the 21^st century.

The concept of social innovation is applied to a wide variety of initiatives and its origins and evolution have to be examined giving special attention to social networks.  This standpoint involves analysing its genesis, i.e. to begin with the concept of innovation itself before going on to examine the social transformation it proposes and its impact in education.

These new values mean that social innovation is a new type of organisation to be joined by the other types of innovation in society (economic, technological). Hence the goals of social innovation are beginning to be analysed from different viewpoints and by various bodies, including the education vision.

We will see how this works in the Spanish case, giving some attention to the Catalonia Region through an empirical analysis.