Social innovation: a conceptual survey and implications for development studies

This paper mainly concerns with the literature survey on the concept of social innovation. Numerous attempts from various academic disciplines are reviewed to identify the current meaning of the concept. However, the findings suggest that widespread ambiguities and vagueness dominate the literature, and it is hard to reach a common acceptable definition for the social innovation. The paper further argues that distinguishing the term social innovation from technological innovation has a potential to clarify the content, meaning and policy implications of it. The paper finally claims that considering fragmented discussion topics in the field of social innovation, development studies may play a consolidative role to elaborate and moderate theoretical analyzes and policy suggestions connected with the social innovation. In this context, the field of human development seems to be a more favourable area for possible future contributions.