Social innovation refers to new strategies, concepts, ideas and organizations that meet social needs of all kinds - from working conditions and education to community development and health - and that extend and strengthen civil society.

The term has overlapping meanings. It can be used to refer to social processes of innovation, such as open source methods and techniques. Alternatively it refers to innovations which have a social purpose - like microcredit or distance learning. The concept can also be related to social entrepreneurship (entrepreneurship is not necessarily innovative, but it can be a means of innovation) and it also overlaps with innovation in public policy and governance. Social innovation can take place within government, the for-profit sector, the nonprofit sector (also known as the third sector), or in the spaces between them. Research has focused on the types of platforms needed to facilitate such cross-sector collaborative social innovation.^[1] Social innovation is gaining visibility within academia.^[2]

Prominent innovators associated with the term include Bangladeshi Mohammed Yunus, the founder of Grameen Bank which pioneered the concept of microcredit for supporting innovators in multiple developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America and Stephen Goldsmith, former Indianapolis mayor who engaged the private sector in providing many city services.^[3][4]

History[link]

Social innovation was discussed in the writings of figures such as Peter Drucker and Michael Young (founder of the Open University and dozens of other organizations) in the 1960s.^[5] It also appeared in the work of French writers in the 1970s, such as Pierre Rosanvallon, Jacques Fournier, and Jacques Attali.^[6] However, the themes and concepts in social innovation existed long before. Benjamin Franklin, for example, talked about small modifications within the social organisation of communities^[7] that could help to solve everyday problems. Many radical 19th century reformers like Robert Owen, founder of the cooperative movement, promoted innovation in the social field and all of the great sociologists including Karl Marx, Max Weber and Émile Durkheim focused attention on broader processes of social change. More detailed theories of social innovation became prominent in the 20th century. Joseph Schumpeter, for example, addressed the process of innovation directly with his theory of creative destruction and his definition of entrepreneurs as people who combined existing elements in new ways to create a new product or service. Beginning in the 1980s, writers on technological change increasingly addressed how social factors affect technology diffusion.^[8]

Developments since 2000[link]

Academic research, blogs and websites feature social innovation, along with organizations working on the boundaries of research and practical action. Topics include:

• Innovation in public services was pioneered particularly in some Scandinavian and Asian countries. Governments are increasingly recognizing that innovation requires healthcare, schooling and democracy.^[9][10]
• Social entrepreneurship, which is the practice of creating new organizations focusing on non- market activities.^[11]
• Business, particularly in services.^[12]
• Open source innovation, in which the intellectual property involved in a produce or service is made freely available.^[13]
• Crowd innovation, in which several 1000 innovators collaborate in mass brainstormings or productive innovation games.^[14]
• Complex adaptive systems, which have built-in mechanisms to help them adapt to changing circumstances.^[15]
• Collaborative approaches which involve stakeholders who are not directly responsible for some activity, such as stockholders and unions collaborating on business issue and business collaborating with government on regulatory issues.^[16][17]
• Innovation diffusion^[18]
• Localized influences that make some localities particularly innovative.^[19]

Institutional support[link]

The US created an Office for Social Innovation in the White House, which is funding projects that combine public and private resources.^[3] Foundations support social innovation.^[20] The European Union’s innovation strategy^[21] was the first well-funded research and development strategy to emphasise social innovation.^[22] Public policy makers support social innovation in these different sectors, notably in the UK, Australia, China and Denmark.^[23] In 2010, the US government listed 11 investments made by its 'Social Innovation Fund', with public funding more than matched by philanthropic organizations. The fund focuses on partnerships with charities, social enterprises, and business.^[3]

Local and Regional development[link]

Literature on social innovation in relation to territorial/regional development covers innovation in the social economy, i.e. strategies for satisfaction of human needs; and innovation in the sense of transforming and/or sustaining social relations, especially governance relations at the regional and local level. Beginning in the late 1980s, Jean-Louis Laville and Frank Moulaert researched social innovation.^[24][25] In Canada CRISES^[26] initiated this type of research. Another, larger project was SINGOCOM^[27] a European Commission Framework 5 project, which pioneered so-called "Alternative Models for Local Innovation" (ALMOLIN). These models were further elaborated through community actions covered by KATARSIS^[28] and SOCIAL POLIS.^[29] More recent works focus on the societal role of the economic life in terms of innovations in social practices and social relations at the local and regional levels. Social Innovation, therefore, is increasingly seen as a process and a strategy to foster human development through solidarity, cooperation, and cultural diversity.^[30][31]

The EU funded URBACT programme is designed to help cities to exchange and learn around urban policies. The URBACT methodology can be seen as a social innovation action planning approach. A typical URBACT network would have ten cities working on a specific theme such as active inclusion or regenerating disadvantaged neighbourhoods. They examine good practice and then working through a local support group use the results to inform their local action plan.

Some noted scholars[link]

• Akhtar Hameed Khan
• Jürgen Howaldt & Michael Schwarz
• Jean-Louis Laville
• Frank Moulaert
• Geoff Mulgan
• Michael D. Mumford
• Dr. Frances Westley

See also[link]

• Social Innovation Camp
• civil society
• post fordism
• social entrepreneurship
• Specialisterne
• sustainopreneurship
• Tides Center
• Young Foundation
• Social Innovations Presentation
• Social Innovation Generation

References[link]

Shawn Smith (October 28, 1965)^[2] is a Seattle-based songwriter, vocalist and musician in several bands (Brad, Satchel, Pigeonhed) and also as a solo artist. He was born in Spokane, Washington.^[2]

Smith has cited Freddie Mercury, Prince and KISS as early influences.^[3] Other influences he has noted are Steven Tyler, Bon Scott, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Andy Wood and Chris Cornell.^[4] It is easy to hear the impact of all of these varied performers in Smith's various projects.

In 2005, Smith unveiled a musical project called The Diamond Hand involving many musicians. He also has worked with Thaddeus Turner (formerly of Maktub and many other projects including Brad) under the name Forever Breakers.

From the North is Shawn's newest band with core members of Malfunkshun (Regan Hagar, Kevin Wood, Cory Kane) and the lyrics left by the late Andrew Wood. The band has also been billed as "Power of Wings" and "Von Nord" ("From the North" in German).^[5] Hagar has since been replaced by Seattle drummer Mike Hommel.^{[citation needed]} The band changed its name in July 2008 to All Hail the Crown and plans to release new music under this banner.^[6]

Solo discography[link]

• Let It All Begin (1999)
• Live at the Point (2000)
• Shield of Thorns (2003)
• The Cedarwood EP (2007)
• The Diamond Hand (2008)
• Sunshine (2011)
• SKELETON KEYS - A Collection Of Home Recordings And Non-Album Tracks 1989-2003 - Vol. 1 (2011)
• SKELETON KEYS - A Collection Of Home Recordings And Non-Album Tracks 1989-2003 - Vol. 2 (2011)
• SKELETON KEYS - A Collection Of Home Recordings And Non-Album Tracks 1989-2003 - Vol. 3 (2011)
• SKELETON KEYS - A Collection Of Home Recordings And Non-Album Tracks 1989-2003 - Vol. 4 (2011)
• SKELETON KEYS - A Collection Of Home Recordings And Non-Album Tracks 1989-2003 - Vol. 5 (2011)
• SKELETON KEYS - A Collection Of Home Recordings And Non-Album Tracks 1989-2003 - Vol. 6 (2011)
• SKELETON KEYS - A Collection Of Home Recordings And Non-Album Tracks 1989-2003 - Vol. 7 (2011)

Brad discography[link]

• Shame (1993)
• Interiors (1997)
• Welcome to Discovery Park (2002)
• Best Friends? (2010)
• United We Stand (2012)

Satchel discography[link]

• EDC (1994)
• The Family (1996)
• Heartache and Honey (2010)

Pigeonhed[link]

• Pigeonhed (1993)
• The Full Sentence (1997)
• Flash Bulb Emergency Overflow Cavalcade of Remixes (1997)

Compilation[link]

• Brad vs Satchel (2005)

Television[link]

"Shake It (Like You Just Made Bail)," a song that remained unreleased until Shawn Smith made it available in digital format in 2007, was featured in the background of the cocaine scene of the "Proshai, Livushka" episode of The Sopranos (third season, 2001). "Leaving California" and "Wrapped in My Memory" from Smith's solo album Shield of Thorns were both featured prominently on the "Long Term Parking" episode of The Sopranos (fifth season, 2004). Yet another Shawn Smith related song has been featured on the show: Pigeonhed's "Battle Flag" appeared on the "46 Long" episode (first season, 1999) and was later included on The Sopranos: Peppers & Eggs: Music from the HBO Original Series.

"Battle Flag" has also been featured in a season six episode of NBC's prime-time medical drama ER, season three episode eleven of Showtime's drama Queer as Folk US, as well as a season one episode of The WB's Smallville. It has also been featured in the film Coyote Ugly and the trailer for Charlie's Angels.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Brad website
• Official Satchel website
• Smith's official website
• From The North on Myspace
• The Diamond Hand on Myspace
• Forever Breakers on Myspace
• Audio interview with Shawn Smith on the Sodajerker on Songwriting podcast