Social Innovation

Social innovation is a central research topic of the Social Research Center Dortmund (sfs). Social innovations - in the sense of a reconfiguration of social practices to shape social change - are ubiquitous and contribute to social development. Thus, they appear in different forms in our society and influence our lives: social innovations change the way we live together (shared housing), work (telecommuting), consume (car sharing), distribute wealth (progressive tax legislation) or deal with crises (short-time work instead of dismissal).

Social innovations have become increasingly important in recent years. Their relevance is also emphasized in the German High-Tech Strategy. At the sfs, social innovations in their various forms are examined in research projects, on the one hand, and the findings flow into the further development of an understanding based on social theory, on the other hand.

Against this background, the numerous projects and worldwide activities of the sfs contribute significantly to anchoring the topic of social innovation in society, politics and science.