Blueprints for the Future of Welfare Provision? Shared Features of Service Innovations across Europe

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 423-432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Ewert ◽  
Adalbert Evers
Keyword(s):  
Social Welfare ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Local Level ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Innovations ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
The One ◽  
Eu Project ◽  
Welfare Reforms

This article discusses localised forms of social innovation in social services in relation to social policy and welfare issues. It draws upon research findings from the EU project ‘Welfare Innovations at the local Level in favour of Cohesion’ (WILCO), which takes in social innovations in twenty European cities. First, we argue why there is currently a significant gap between the debate on social innovation and the debate on social welfare reforms. Second, we present attempts that have been made to identify and interpret recurring approaches and instruments in the social innovations studied in relation to various dimensions of the debate on social welfare and services, such as the search for new ways of addressing users and citizens; the emphasis on new risks and related approaches to the issues of rights and responsibilities; and finally the concern with issues of governance. We argue that the features of the local innovations we identified may be significant for welfare systems at large, going beyond the introduction of special new items in special fields. However, the degree to which this will come about in reality will depend on building more bridges of shared understanding between concerns with social innovation on the one hand and welfare reforms on the other hand.

scholarly journals Social innovation i indsatsen for hjemløse kvinder – tilblivelsen af en natcafé

2012 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 55-73
Author(s):  
Catharina Juul Kristensen
Keyword(s):  
Key Words ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Idea Generation ◽  
Homeless Women ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Innovations ◽  
Night Shelter ◽  
Innovation Processes

I forbindelse med de nationale strategiplaner ”Det fælles ansvar II” og ”Den nationale hjemløsestrategi” er der blevet iværksat flere aktiviteter i Københavns Kommune for at skabe øget viden og forbedre indsatsen i forhold til hjemløse og andre grupper af socialt udsatte kvinder. Flere af disse er sociale innovationer. De har som formål at imødekomme kvindernes behov og problemer på nye og bedre måder. I artiklen analyseres tilblivelsen af en af disse sociale innovationer, ”Café Klare – Natcaféen for kvinder”. Det undersøges således hvorledes ideen til natcaféen er fremkommet, og hvordan processen bag implementeringen af den er forløbet. Analysen viser bl.a., at der er tale om en længerevarende proces, hvor medarbejdere og ledere i Socialforvaltningen og i organisationer på hjemløseområdet, mere eller mindre strategisk har skabt, udnyttet og forhandlet muligheder for at skabe en forbedret indsats for de hjemløse kvinder, heriblandt natcaféen. Analysen er baseret på et længerevarende, kvalitativt casestudie. ENGELSK ABSTRACT: Catharina Juul Kristensen: Social Innovation in Services for Homeless Women – the Creation of a Night Shelter Within the framework of the Danish national action plans ”Our Common Responsibility II” and ”The National Homeless Strategy”, the municipality of Copenhagen launched a number of initiatives to improve social services for socially vulnerable and homeless women. Another goal of these initiatives was to increase awareness and knowledge of these women’s needs. Many of these efforts are social innovations that endeavor to meet the needs and problems of homeless women in new ways. This article analyzes the emergence of one of these social innovations, ”Café Klare – the night shelter for women”. It focuses on the process of idea generation and implementation of the night shelter. The analysis shows how employees and managers in both the municipal social administration and in organizations for homelessness created, used and negotiated the opportunity to improve the social services for homeless women more or less strategically. Among these services was ”Café Klare”. The analysis is based on an in depth case study. Key words: Social innovation, innovation processes, entrepreneurship, night shelters, homeless women.

scholarly journals Social Farming: Heterogeneity in Social and Agricultural Relationships

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 4824
Author(s):  
Angela Genova ◽  
Martina Maccaroni ◽  
Elena Viganò
Keyword(s):  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Main Hypothesis ◽  
Local Case ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Farming

Social farming (SF) has emerged as a social innovation practice shaping heterogeneous approaches and results. This study discusses the complexity of SF policy and practices, and it is led by the main hypothesis that the relationship between agricultural and social dimensions might be very heterogeneous, not only in different national contexts but also within the same national and local level. SF policy and practices are investigated testing the hypothesis of three main different modalities of interaction according to how the social and the agricultural perspectives interact. In the first, social target is not involved in the production system of the farm and the farm is the context where actions and measures of a social nature take place. In the second type of interaction, the farm employs the beneficiaries in some of its production activities collaborating with the social services. The third is where the farm organizes its activities to actively employ targeted people to enhance their social inclusion and integration in the community. Italian SF policy and practices are analyzed as case study, through the lens of sociological critical discourse analysis regarding the regional regulatory documents, and interviews for local case studies. The results of the study show that SF policy and practices might be very heterogeneous also within the same national and local level, outlining different hybridization of social and agriculture actions that can be properly analyzed through the three SF model proposal. This study contributes to the broader debate on the various dimensions of sustainability, suggesting the need for further research on the efficiency of SF as local development model sustainable in economic, social and environmental terms.

scholarly journals Responsible Digital Transformation of Social Welfare Organizations

2021 ◽  
pp. 131-144
Author(s):  
Birte Schiffhauer ◽  
Udo Seelmeyer
Keyword(s):  
Social Welfare ◽  
Organizational Development ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Welfare States ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Future ◽  
Innovation Processes

AbstractDigitalization will extensively change what kind of social services social welfare states will provide in the future and how these services are delivered. In addition, organization and financing will alter fundamentally. In Germany, a greater part of social services is organized by social welfare organizations. Digitalization will not only change social services, but also social welfare organizations. Until now, systematic concepts about responsible digital transformation for social welfare organizations are missing and there are no models for social welfare organizations to initiate, design and implement social innovation processes. This chapter gives an overview about organizational development and innovation in the context of social services. Further, ideas for a responsible digital transformation of social welfare organizations are provided and illustrated by an example of the social welfare organization: Workers’ Samaritan Federation North Rhine-Westphalia registered association (ASB NRW e.V.).

Social Innovation Practices in Services for Sustainable Consumption

2017 ◽  
pp. 32-65
Author(s):  
Banu Atrek ◽  
Burcu İlter
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resources ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Sustainable Consumption ◽  
Emerging Economy ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Innovations ◽  
The Future ◽  
Innovation Practices ◽  
The Way

Overconsumption is fueled by the idea that the more people buy, the happier they become; however, this is not compatible with sustainability and the future of the planet. Deep concerns about the sustainability of nature and natural resources give rise to discussions of sustainable consumption, and social innovation applications may lead the way to sustainable consumption. Thus, this chapter aims to provide a picture of social innovation practices in services for sustainable consumption in an emerging economy. Although the chapter focuses mainly on contemporary social innovations, an overview of the social innovation concept and possible historical roots of social innovations from Turkish history are also provided.

Digital Social Innovation

2019 ◽  
pp. 184-211
Author(s):  
Alicia Guerra Guerra ◽  
Lyda Sánchez de Gómez ◽  
Carlos Jurado Rivas
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
General Scheme ◽  
Social Economy ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Good Practices ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Innovations ◽  
Global Movement ◽  
Global Activity

The fusion of the social economy with the digital economy, together with the essential need for social organizations to innovate in order to face challenges not satisfied by using traditional methods, led to what is known as digital social innovation: the use of digital technologies to allow or help to carry out social innovations. We are facing a developing field of study, in full evolution and with a high and recent level of global activity, which makes it a true global movement. This, together with the fact that DSI practices still lack unanimous and systematized criteria, calls for identifying what DSI is and what should be understood by it. Therefore, this chapter aims to configure and illustrate the conceptual framework of DSI, detail the barriers that are limiting its momentum, and formulate a general scheme of action for good practices in DSI.

Competing locals in an autonomous schooling system: The fracturing of the ‘social’ in social justice

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 786-801
Author(s):  
Jessica Holloway ◽  
Amanda Keddie
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
School Principals ◽  
Local Level ◽  
System Level ◽  
Social Fabric ◽  
Public Education System ◽  
The Social ◽  
Level Versus ◽  
The One ◽  
Schooling System

This paper troubles notions of ‘social justice’ as being compromised and fractured by the autonomous school agenda. Drawing on interviews with 13 autonomous school principals in Australia, it demonstrates how the devolution of schooling simultaneously rips the seams of the ‘social’ fabric that makes collective justice possible. The stories of these principals signal a fracturing of the social cohesion that is necessary for creating a just and equal society. We aim to distinguish between individual efforts to create socially just conditions at the local level versus collective projects to create socially just conditions at the system level. We argue that, on the one hand, school autonomy affords individual principals opportunities to exercise what might be considered socially just discretion; on the other hand, this sometimes occurs at the expense of fracturing the cohesion of the greater public education system. In doing so, we challenge the extent to which social justice can be realised within a decentralised schooling system.

The Quest for Sustainable Livelihoods: Social Development Challenges and Social Policy Responses in Guangzhou, China

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ka Ho Mok ◽  
Maggie Lau
Keyword(s):  
Social Welfare ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Role Of The State ◽  
The Social ◽  
Financial Burdens

China's welfare system has been a typical ‘residual welfare regime’, but the economic reform and market-oriented transformations in recent decades have weakened the original well-balanced ‘residual’ and ‘needs’ pattern. Marketisation of social welfare has intensified social inequality as those who are less competitive in the market-oriented economy have encountered tremendous financial burdens in meeting their welfare needs. In order to rectify the social problems and tensions generated from the process of marketisation of social welfare, the Chinese government has adopted different policy measures to address the pressing welfare demands from the citizens. This article examines how a local government in Guangzhou, capital city of Guangdong province, has responded to the call of the central government in promoting social harmony in the context of growing welfare regionalism emerging in mainland China. More specifically, with reference to a case study of Guangzhou, this article discusses how Guangzhou residents assess their social welfare needs and expectations, and how they evaluate the municipal government's major welfare strategies. It also reflects upon the role of the state in welfare provision and social protection, especially when many social welfare and social services have been marketised in the last few decades in China.

Welfare Reforms in Post-Crisis Korea: Dilemmas and Choices

2004 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 291-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hye Kyung Lee
Keyword(s):  
Social Welfare ◽  
First Century ◽  
Policy Choice ◽  
Global Integration ◽  
Welfare Programs ◽  
Social Welfare Programs ◽  
Social Welfare System ◽  
The Social ◽  
Ultimate Question ◽  
Welfare Reforms

This paper explicates the welfare reforms executed in Korea after the abrupt financial meltdown in November 1997, and asks whether the same line of reforms will continue further into the twenty-first century Korea. The DJ government's post-crisis policy choice was to persue an expansion and consolidation of the social welfare system based upon the principle of solidarity. Consequently, the size of social welfare expenditure grew fast between 1996 and 1999. Korean experience of post-crisis years demonstrates the case in which the global integration of economy brought about the fast expansion of social welfare programs. The ultimate question is will this growth continue in the sea of neo-liberal challenges, with the new government's ‘Participatory Welfare’ whose complete design is not made public yet.

scholarly journals Penghayatan Hidup Bahagia dan Kesejahteraan Pada Kaum Pemulung

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bonar Hutapea ◽  
Tasya Qurrata Ayun ◽  
Cherika Cherika ◽  
Regina Natashya ◽  
Ricka Noviana ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Security ◽  
Social Welfare ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
Central Administration ◽  
Not Given ◽  
Social Functions ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Used Goods

The Social Welfare Issuer (PMKS) is a person or family who, because of an obstacle, difficulty or disruption, can not carry out their social functions and therefore can not establish a harmonious and creative relationship with their environment so that they can not fulfill their (physical, spiritual and social) needs adequate and reasonable (Thamrin, Masril & Sembiring, 2016). This research has a point to find out how an illustration the depth to live happily and prosperous people the scavengers. A method is executed by qualitative narrative, by interview depth and observation. Researchers had conducted interviews with two subjects that work as scavengers. Results in getting is the depth to  live happily of both the subject of very simple with the fulfill of needs and there is also social security for them. They could only fulfill their needs by gathering used goods erratic the amounts of each day and it becomes happiness its own for both subject. However in fact what happens is that social services agency and the central administration has not given a guarantee or assistance which could be used by both subject. Researchers advice for governments is to give the assurance that it is set in accordance with law social welfare, so that the scavengers can receive their rights .

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