Grassroots innovation and innovation democracy
dc.contributor.author | Smith, Adrian | |
dc.contributor.author | Stirling, Andrew | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2016-12-13T11:56:28Z | |
dc.date.available | 2016-12-13T11:56:28Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2016-12-13 | |
dc.identifier.citation | Smith, A. and Stirling, A. (2016) Grassroots Innovation and Innovation Democracy, STEPS Working Paper 89, Brighton: STEPS Centre. | en |
dc.identifier.uri | https://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/opendocs/handle/20.500.12413/12714 | |
dc.description.abstract | In this working paper we introduce an area of activity that has flourished for decades in all corners of the globe, namely grassroots innovation for sustainable development. We also argue why innovation in general is a matter for democracy. Combining these two points, we explore how grassroots innovation can contribute to what we call innovation democracy, and help guide innovation so that it supports rather than hinders social justice and environmental resilience. We suggest it does so in four related ways: 1. Processes of grassroots innovation can help in their own right to cultivate the more democratic practice of innovation. 2. Grassroots innovations can support citizens and their activities in more general ways that contribute to wider democracy. 3. Grassroots innovations create empowering ‘sociotechnical configurations’ that would otherwise be suppressed by existing innovation systems. 4. Grassroots innovations can help nurture general levels of social diversity that are important for democracy in its widest sense. The working paper finishes with a few suggestions for how societies committed to innovation democracy can better support and benefit from grassroots innovation activity. Action for deeper grassroots participation in innovation democracy has to work on culture, infrastructure, training, investment, and openness. An earlier version of this working paper, with lighter referencing, appeared originally in the Big Ideas series of ‘thinkpieces’ organised by Friends of the Earth. | en |
dc.description.sponsorship | ESRC | en |
dc.language.iso | en | en |
dc.publisher | ESRC STEPS Centre | en |
dc.relation.ispartofseries | STEPS Working Papers;89 | |
dc.rights | users are welcome to copy, distribute, display, translate or perform this work without written permission subject to the conditions set out in the Creative Commons licence. For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the licence terms of this work. If you use the work, we ask that you reference the STEPS Centre website (www.steps-centre.org) and send a copy of the work or a link to its use online to the following address for our archive: STEPS Centre, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9RE, UK (steps-centre@ids.ac.uk). | en |
dc.rights.uri | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ | en |
dc.subject | Environment | en |
dc.subject | Participation | en |
dc.subject | Politics and Power | en |
dc.subject | Technology | en |
dc.title | Grassroots innovation and innovation democracy | en |
dc.type | Series paper (non-IDS) | en |
dc.rights.holder | © STEPS 2016 | en |
rioxxterms.funder | Default funder | en |
rioxxterms.identifier.project | STEPS Centre | en |
rioxxterms.version | VoR | en |
rioxxterms.funder.project | 7360ec74-14f4-4420-af2a-8ca314d07ffe | en |
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Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as users are welcome to copy, distribute, display, translate or perform this work without written
permission subject to the conditions set out in the Creative Commons licence. For any reuse or
distribution, you must make clear to others the licence terms of this work. If you use the work, we ask
that you reference the STEPS Centre website (www.steps-centre.org) and send a copy of the work or a
link to its use online to the following address for our archive: STEPS Centre, University of Sussex,
Brighton BN1 9RE, UK (steps-centre@ids.ac.uk).