La investigación en Innovación Social en la Unión Europea y la experiencia de la TU Dortmund University – sfs

The article examines research on Social Innovation in the European Union with a special focus on the experience of one of the current protagonists in this field, TU Dortmund University – sfs. Research on Social Innovation has increased significantly in the recent years and, driven largely by EU programme funding, an important knowledge base has emerged which allows for a better understanding of Social Innovation. Social Sciences and Humanities play an important role in this process. However, the most urgent research questions still remain unanswered. The article presents the global research project SI-DRIVE, which seeks to contribute to a significantly better understanding of Social Innovation, as well as further Social Innovation research projects by TU Dortmund University – sfs. While focusing on Social Innovation developments in the EU and current projects such as SI-DRIVE, the article reflects on possible conclusions for research processes in Latin America

Das PIKSL Labor. Unterschiedliche Perspektiven auf einen Ort digitaler Inklusion.

Nur wer über Medienkompetenz verfügt und an der Informationsgesellschaft teilnimmt, hat ausreichend Teilhabechancen in der Gesellschaft insgesamt. Das PIKSL-Labor in Düsseldorf-Flingern bringt seit 2010 Menschen mit und ohne Behinderung zusammen, fördert die Teilhabe von Menschen an der Informationsgesellschaft und entwickelt neue Ideen für digitale Inklusion. Studierende der Fakultät für Rehabilitationswissenschaften der TU Dortmund haben das PIKSL-Labor gemeinsam mit ihrem Dozenten Dr. Christoph Kaletka untersucht. Diese Publikation fasst die Projektergebnisse zusammen

New Initiatives for the Empowerment of People with Activity Limitations

The paper exploits an extensive quantitative case mapping to blend three strands of research: First, social innovation will be considered as an approach to improve and/or guarantee social inclusion for people with activity limitations. Secondly, ICT will be understood as a means to empower people with activity limitations; and thirdly, the needs of vulnerable people will be regarded as a lens for scrutinizing those two approaches: How can ICT based social innovation/digital social innovation (DSI) empower people? The analysed cases shed light on the phenomenon of digital social innovations and allow first insights into their practice. The paper illustrates a quantitative overview of the actors behind these initiatives, their funding structures and drivers and barriers. In a conclusion, the new phenomenon of digital social innovation is described in contours

„Moderator/in digitale Inklusion“

In vielen europäischen Regionen haben sich Interneterfahrungsorte zu wichtigen Promotoren von Erwachsenenbildung und digitaler Inklusion entwickelt. Eine zentrale Herausforderung für solche Interneterfahrungsorte liegt in der Qualifikation ihres Personals, der Moderatorinnen und Moderatoren für digitale Inklusion. Diese Gruppe hoch motivierter, oft ehrenamtlich tätiger Menschen zu qualifizieren, ist kompliziert – teils aufgrund unterschiedlicher Vorqualifikationen, teils aufgrund unterschiedlicher Lernangebote der Interneterfahrungsorte. Ein im Rahmen des europäischen Projekts „Trans e-facilitator“ erarbeiteter Lehrplan soll Abhilfe schaffen

Innovation der Inklusion

Der Beitrag richtet den Blick auf das Feld der Innovationsforschung und insbesondere auf das Feld der sozialen Innovation. Er wird das Konzept der sozialen Innovation einführen und vor diesem Hintergrund reflektieren, wie neue Praktiken der Teilhabe an Gesellschaft entstehen, wie sie sich verbreiten und etablieren. (DIPF/Orig.

A Global Mapping of Social Innovations: Challenges of a Theory Driven Methodology

The article discusses and analyses challenges, constraints and prospects of a theory driven empirical research methodology in the thematic field of Social Innovation. Based on the experiences made while conducting a global mapping of social innovation initiatives, it reflects challenges such as the different understandings and definitions of the research field and contexts related to different policy and world regions. Starting with the approach of the EU funded international project SI-DRIVE, the challenges of theory development and its methodological operationalisation and limitations in an iterative improvement by sequential empirical mappings are discussed - combining quantitative and qualitative research and results for proving and elaborating the theoretical frame (building blocks of a Social Innovation Theory). Empirical evidence shows that the theoretical development of such a ubiquitous phenomenon needs an iterative interrelation of theory and empiricism and a multi-method approach, giving leeway for the whole variety of social innovations by simultaneously developing a common understanding and concept of Social Innovation

Social Media Revisited

The paper raises the question whether Web 2.0 can be seen as a technological or a social innovation and describes interdependencies between these two phenomena. The paper argues that the core innovation of Web 2.0 is the communication of "user generated content" as a new social routine, which is largely congruent with the definition of "Web 2.0" in the communication science discourse (which the authors speak for). The authors distinguish between a technological and a social layer of this innovation. The concrete usage by a broad and heterogeneous audience of the different technologies is seen as the main driver for the spread of web 2.0 and the paradigmatic changes it exerts on numerous fields of life. While technology is seen as a "catalyst", the innovation itself (user generated content) is considered a social one. In a final step, the paper describes the usage of social media in the field of adult learning and the way web 2.0 based learning principles can contribute to social inclusion. In "telecentres", social media have started to prove their potential as easy-to-use applications for activating and integrating target groups with low ICT skills into the "digital society"