HOW IS SOCIAL INNOVATION DIFFERENT FROM SOCIAL CHANGE? A BRIEF PRESENTATION OF THE CONCEPTUAL HISTORY
HOW IS SOCIAL INNOVATION DIFFERENT FROM SOCIAL CHANGE? A BRIEF PRESENTATION OF THE CONCEPTUAL HISTORY

Summary/Abstract: The study of social innovations requires the understanding of complex phenomena such as the change of the social structure at the level of society. Therefore, beginning in the 19th century and continuing into the 20th century, sociologists such as Gabriel Tarde, William Ogburn, Wolfgang Zapf, economists such as Joseph Schumpeter, philosophers such as Karl Popper or management specialists such as Peter Drucker have approached the concept of innovation differently by laying the foundations of currents of thought regarding the role of innovations in social change processes. This article attempts to clarify the distinction between social innovation and social change both by presenting the theoretical framework and by reviewing the literature on social innovations. The author writes a comprehensive presentation on social innovation dedicated to students, researchers unfamiliar with this topic and others interested in analyzing social innovations in certain fields of activity. Readers going through the article will identify the most recent efforts to strengthen social innovation as a distinct field of study by researchers who have distinguished themselves in the early 21st century.

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