Social Innovation: Origins, Definitions, and Main Elements

Abstract

Social innovation positions itself in the last decades within the agendas and programs of actors from different sectors of society (public, private, social, educational, among others). This positioning obeys to the capacity that this type of innovations must solve social, economic, environmental, and institutional problems through a transformation of society. The concept of social innovation emerges as part of the search to find new ways of coordinating and mobilizing global and local problems. This chapter aims to present an analysis of the concept of social innovation, the different aspects that integrate it and some of its main elements. The chapter offers a definition and understanding of social innovation, its sources of social innovation that exist and a differentiation between this innovation and innovations or initiatives that have social elements or attention to social problems.