Social Lerning and innovation in Sustinability Transitions – Seven Portuguese initiatives compared

Abstract

TRUST (social innovation sTRategies for sUSTainability transitions) is a research project that focus on sustainability transition (ST) initiatives in urban and rural Portugal, supported on social learning and innovation. The research aims to investigate forms of social innovation (SI) that can drive community change at local scale, in the context of different social-ecological systems. The analytical process is based upon seven selected initiatives, which have as common purpose to create locally based ST, and the adopted strategies that can enable change in approaches, routines, practices, systems and mind-sets – which we recognize as components of SI. The state of art has been reviewed on three core concepts - SI, ST and Governance - and a conceptual model was developed for SI to enable ST for transformative change. A participatory research approach is adopted and applied to local communities in specific urban and rural social-ecological contexts in Aveiro, Évora and Lisboa. Results from empirical observation are compared in seven case studies: (i) “A Avó veio trabalhar” about active ageing and intergenerational relationships (ii) “Bela Flor Respira” about sustainable systems and transformation of behaviours; (iii) “Ciclaveiro” about sustainable mobility and cultural habits; (iv) “Civic Lab” about community well-being and empowerment; (v) “Cooperative Minga” about business models and knowledge transfer; (vi) “Montado” about business models and ecosystem services; (vii) “Organisation of Fisherwomen in Murtosa” about gender equality and transformation of mind-sets. In this presentation we will share the results of the analysis so far available, through comparison of these seven initiatives by looking into actors’ values, motivations and behaviours driven by contextual dynamics, and the governance system capacity to foster SI for transformative change. Lessons are shared on to what extent these initiatives promote SI (and how they do it) and if they are able of leading transformative changes, as an experiment to theoretically and empirically explore how to enable social innovation for transformative change.