The three years-European funded project ITSSOIN (Impact of the Third Sector as SOcial INnovation) has come to an end.
The project’s primary hypothesis is that the third sector, specifically through stimulating civic involvement, is best placed to produce social innovation, outperforming the commercial sector and the state in this regard.
Sure about that? ITSSOIN has identified dominant social innovation streams in selected fields and, through a case study approach, has mapped ongoing social innovations with a specific focus on the sector which has initiated or driven the particular innovation.
We looked for social innovations in the following fields:
- culture & arts, studying social cohesion in contexts of culture-led place rejuvenation
- health care, studying the recovery approach in mental health
- social services, studying cross-sector partnerships and civic engagement for the most vulnerable
- environmental sustainability, studying bicycle mobility in European cities
- consumer protection, studying protection in alternative financial services
- work integration, studying cross-sector partnerships for disadvantaged people, and
- community development, studying migrants’ integration and inclusion.
Two specific posts will follow, one focused on the media analysis – how social innovation and the third sector are described in the press?
and the other one focused on community development – are there innovative experiences of migrants’ integration?
In the meantime, if you are curious about all findings, please have a look here for case studies and a quick look here for ITSSOIN posters!