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Paper long abstract:

Social innovation has been used as a concept in a diversity of situations, sometimes in a superficial way, sometimes in a well-thought manner.

In this presentation we first provide a selection of diverse uses of the concept of social innovation in particular moments of the history of practice and thought of social change. Next we reflect on the analytical utility of the social innovation concept in these moments, to then draw some lessons on a coherent epistemology for social innovation research.

To arrive at such epistemology we will address the following questions:

1. Which are particular problematics in which social innovation concepts are useful to lead a problematization process [of social change]?

2. Depending on the problematic, which theories of social innovation (and transformation) are eligible?

3. Should social innovation research in all cases be action research or does progress in social innovation analysis also require moments of detached reflection?

The presentation will finish with some epistemological guidelines for leading social innovation research.