Naslov
Social innovations environment in Croatia: baby steps forward?

Autori
Baturina, Danijel

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, neobjavljeni rad, znanstveni

Skup
International Social Innovation Research Conference: ISIRC 2017: Beyond Boundaries? Organisations, Systems and Social Innovation

Mjesto i datum
Melbourne, Australija, 12.12.2017. - 14.12.2017

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
Social innovationsenviroment, qualitative analysis, welfare state Croatia

Sažetak
The economic crises that have stricken Europe in recent years have prompted many discussions on the search for new paths, creating new approaches and concepts of social and economic policies (Crouch, 2011). The welfare state in the 21st century is facing the challenges of achieving social cohesion in a society marked by deep transformations and the emergence of new social risks. Some social scientists see significant value in the concept of social innovation because it identifies a critical type of innovation (Vale, 2009). The notion of social innovation is particularly appealing in light of the difficulties facing traditional welfare systems (especially in post-socialist countries as Croatia) and, more broadly, a development model based essentially on only two actors (the market and the state) that is finding it increasingly difficult to meet the growing and diversified needs of society (Borzaga, Bodini, 2012). The focus of this paper will be to evaluate the social innovations environment in Croatia, its potential, and barriers. Environment will be related to legal, financial, institutional, cultural, political and socio-economic aspects that operate in various combinations to support or restrict social innovation activity from flourishing in a Croatian context. First, we will briefly conceptually define social innovation and how they are seen in Croatia. As the framework of the analysis, we will use the context of (welfare) state and third sector. We will analyze their development, capacities, and openness of environment to social innovation. The empirical part of the work will rely on the results of FP7 project WILCO (Welfare innovations at the local level in favor of Cohesion) which reviewed the ecosystem of local social system and openness towards social innovation. Part of the results will refer to social innovation researched within the Ph.D. dissertation "The impact of the third sector in the social and economic development of the Croatia" (undertaken within FP7 project Third Sector Impact) which looked into perceptions of key stakeholders on the impact of social innovations in the third sector to the socio-economic development of Croatia and barriers towards its development. Methodology in both instances consisted of analysis of secondary sources (available documentation, the legal framework, and previous research), interviews with key stakeholders in the sector and case study of organizations in the sector. Time framework of analysis would be After presenting the results in the discussion and conclusion we will review the potential of social innovation as modernization tool for social and public policies as well as structural barriers to their development in the context of Croatian society. We will answer the question how much “baby steps“forward have social innovation environment in Croatia taken from and are they contributing to a new understanding of the sustainability of social policies in order to ensure social and environmentally sustainable growth, better jobs and better quality of life.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Sociologija, Socijalne djelatnosti

POVEZANOST RADA