Workpackage 5 description

Objectives

Develop a methodology for the analysis of social innovation initiatives to combat social exclusion, which will later be used to guide a wider discussion on creative and social strategies against exclusion. This methodology should therefore not solely be of analytical but also policy and action relevance. It will also be of use to WP8, and especially the training dimension of WP8.

Description of work

This is the only ‘research’ activity in this CA: combining at least three different epistemological/methodological perspectives on the study of social innovation: holistic/institutionalist, multi-variate and anthropological. All lead partners of other scientific WP will play a specific role in this WP which will ‘tap from’ but also ‘deliver to’ these other WPs. In addition specialised skills will be mobilised to make this methodological WP work: Partner 5 (CEG-UL) for strategic analysis of socially innovative behaviour, Partner 6 (SRE ) for the analysis of governance as social innovation, Partner 9 (MU- Brno) for the organizational dimensions of social innovation in deprived communities, Partner 14 (CRISES-UQAM) as an international leader in social innovation analysis, Partner 16 (Abaton ) on quantitative and survey methods and Partner 19 (CRIDA) on monographic analysis of social economy and proximity services activities. End users knowledgeable in participatory observation and policy- as well as action-oriented research will be involved in the work process. Specialists from the wider research community will be invited to make methodological contributions.

Although there will be at least one methodological session at each workshop, a workshop devoted to Methodology (WS 6 on ’Methodology Development’) will pull the strings of methodological progress together (at about M21).

The work also includes customized outputs to be used in WP8 (Dissemination and User Groups).

Deliverables

D5: report on WP5 including WS 6

D5DISSEM: results of WP5 useful for dissemination (publication, user groups, training)

Milestones

Integration of theoretical, empirical and policy/action oriented perspectives into a flexible methodology for the analysis of socially-innovative initiatives to combat situations of exclusion.

Production of Guidelines for further methodological integration of research on socially creative initiatives to combat exclusion in various existential fields, among scientific disciplines, thematic orientations, research traditions and cultures