Abstract
Digital Social Innovation (DSI) is a new concept referring to social innovation initiatives that leverage digital technologies potentiality to co-create solutions to a wide range of social needs. These initiatives generally take place in urban contexts. However, in the existing literature, scarce attention is devoted to the spatial dimensions and the social, cultural or political space-related effects of DSI practices. This article suggests that a critical geography perspective can address these gaps. After a review of existing relevant contributes, the article elaborates a research agenda for a critical geography of DSI. This articulates along four research lines, including the emergence of DSI networks, the (re)production of DSI processes and socio-cultural urban space, the representations of DSI practices and the power relationships these mobilise.
Highlights
Digital Social Innovation (DSI) is a new concept referring to social innovation initiatives that leverage digital technologies potentiality to co-create solutions to a wide range of social needs
The concept of Digital Social Innovation (DSI) emerged in the last 10 years (Caulier-Grice, Davies, Patrick, & Norman, 2012; Henning & Hess, 2010) and refers to a: Type of social and collaborative innovation in which innovators, users and communities collaborate in using digital technologies to co-create knowledge and solutions for a wide range of social needs and at a scale and speed that was unimaginable before the rise of the Internet. (Bria, 2014, p. 9)
Building upon the above-mentioned research, a future agenda is eventually drawn along four lines, including: 1) the socio-spatial structures produced by and generating on its turn DSI initiatives; 2) the DSI contribution in perpetuating society and technology relationships in the city ([re]production); 3) the space of imaginaries, narratives and visions created by DSI communities; and 4) the entwining of sociopolitical issues brought about by DSI practices
Summary
The concept of Digital Social Innovation (DSI) emerged in the last 10 years (Caulier-Grice, Davies, Patrick, & Norman, 2012; Henning & Hess, 2010) and refers to a: Type of social and collaborative innovation in which innovators, users and communities collaborate in using digital technologies to co-create knowledge and solutions for a wide range of social needs and at a scale and speed that was unimaginable before the rise of the Internet. (Bria, 2014, p. 9). This article claims that in order to get a more nuanced appreciation of DSI relationship with the fluid, mutable, multiple spaces of contemporary city (Harvey, 2006; Massey, Allen, & Sarre, 1999) we need to adopt a critical geography perspective (see Section 3). Building upon the above-mentioned research, a future agenda is eventually drawn along four lines, including: 1) the socio-spatial structures produced by and generating on its turn DSI initiatives (networks); 2) the DSI contribution in perpetuating society and technology relationships in the city ([re]production); 3) the space of imaginaries, narratives and visions created by DSI communities (representation); and 4) the entwining of sociopolitical issues brought about by DSI practices (power; Section 4)
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