Playing with the Rules of the Game: Social Innovation for Urban Transformation

Innovation is perhaps the buzzword in local economic development policy. Associated narrowly with neoliberal ideas, conventional notions of innovation—like its capitalocentric counterparts, enterprise and entrepreneurialism—may promise higher productivity, global competitiveness and technological progress but do not fundamentally change the ‘rules of the game’. In contrast, an emerging field reimagines social innovation as disruptive change in social relations and institutional configurations. This article explores the conceptual and political differences within this pre‐paradigmatic field, and argues for a more transformative understanding of social innovation. Building on the work of David Graeber, I mobilize the novel constructs of ‘play’ and ‘games’ to advance our understanding of the contradictory process of institutionalizing social innovation for urban transformation. This is illustrated through a case study of Liverpool, where diverse approaches to innovation are employed in attempts to resolve longstanding socio‐economic problems. Dominant market‐ and state‐led economic development policies—likened to a ‘regeneration game’—are contrasted with more experimental, creative, democratic and potentially more effective forms of social innovation, seeking urban change through playing with the rules of the game. I conclude by considering how the play–game dialectic illuminates and reframes the way transformative social innovation might be cultivated by urban policy, the contradictions this entails, and possible ways forward

Was It Something I Ate? Implementation of the FDA Seafood HACCP Program

We develop a theoretical model of enforcement and compliance under HACCP regulation and use the FDA's seafood inspection records to examine: (1) if the FDA has targeted its inspections under HACCP regulation; (2) the effects of inspections on compliance with HACCP and plant sanitation standards; and (3) the relationship between compliance with HACCP and preexisting sanitation standards. There is some evidence of targeting based on product risk, but not on past compliance performance. The threat of an inspection increases the likelihood of compliance, but only for sanitation inspections, not for HACCP. HACCP compliance does not improve compliance with sanitation standards. Copyright 2008, Oxford University Press.

Redução da altura de plantas de soja causada pelo ácido 2,3,5-triiodobenzóico Height reduction in soybean plants caused by 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid

O ácido 2,3,5-triiodobenzóico (TIBA), um inibidor do transporte de auxina, quando aplicado via foliar, pode reduzir o crescimento vegetativo. Um dos problemas ainda enfrentado pelos produtores de soja é o acamamento da cultura no campo devido a crescimento vegetativo excessivo. Objetivando avaliar os efeitos do TIBA sobre o desenvolvimento e a produção de plantas de soja (Glycine max (L.) Merrill cv. Pintado), realizou-se um experimento em casa de vegetação, no Departamento de Ciências Biológicas da ESALQ/USP. Em plantas envasadas, aplicou-se TIBA, via foliar, nas concentrações de 30, 40 e 50mg L-1, no estádio fenológico V5. Os parâmetros avaliados foram a altura das plantas, o número e a massa de vagens e grãos por planta e a massa de 100 sementes. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado com 4 tratamentos e 6 repetições. Os dados obtidos foram submetidos à análise de variância e regressão polinomial. Verificou-se redução significativa na altura de plantas de soja tratadas com concentrações crescentes de TIBA, quando comparadas ao controle. O TIBA foi eficaz em reduzir a altura de plantas de soja, sem afetar negativamente parâmetros relacionados à produção.<br>The 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid, an auxin transport inhibitor, when applied on leaves can reduce the vegetative growth. One of the problems faced by soybean producers is the lodging of the plants in the field due to excessive vegetative growth. Trying to evaluate the effects of TIBA over soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill cv. Pintado) vegetative growth and yield, an experiment was carried out in the greenhouse of the Department of Biological Sciences at ESALQ/USP. Using potted-plants, TIBA was sprayed on the leaves of soybean plants at 30, 40 and 50 g L-1, at V5 phenological stage. Plant height, number and mass of pods per plant and 100-grain mass were assessed. The experiment was completely randomized with 4 treatments and 6 replications. Data were submitted to variance analysis and polynomial regression. TIBA was effective in reducing plant height, without affecting parameters related to production