A constructivist grounded theory study of local social innovation assemblage in Dundee city

: perspectives from third sector and funding organisations

Abstract

Social innovation has proliferated over the last decade in academia, practice, and policy discourses, especially in the Global North. Such emphasis has meant what gets conceptualised and promoted as social innovation determines who the winners and losers are, especially regarding resource allocation. Literature recognises that socially innovative actions with its potential for transformative change is often anchored in local contexts where territorially embedded third sector organisations primarily drive the processes. However, how such local organisations mobilise social and power relations of marginalised or disadvantaged communities is underexamined. This knowledge gap compounds into our limited understanding of what kind of funding approach and practices could support local social innovation. Thus, to mitigate these gaps the aim of this dissertation is to explore how local third sector organisations mobilise social innovation, by adopting the assemblage theory lens. Adopting the assemblage lens has enabled me to unpack local social innovation processes along with the role of varied entities including the third sector organisation, the user, the funding organisation, and any non-human actor which shape and influence these processes. The empirical study is conducted using constructivist grounded theory method by focusing on the geographical region of Dundee city, Scotland. Dundee city contains promise of engendering local social innovation as it experiences multiple deprivation but is simultaneously home to a thriving third sector. I have explicated local social innovation processes by theorising that such processes are shaped via humane and collaborative responses and evolve in a rhizome like fashion to engender small scale but enduring changes as social impact; secondly, funders can better facilitate such social innovation by undertaking a relationship-based and democratic approach to resource allocation. This study adds to existing scholarship on local social innovation by theorising the complexity and emergence embedded within the processes, and by highlighting how actions of the key actors, including human and non-human, can strengthen or weaken the social innovation assemblage. I argue that local social innovation processes including its social impact require rethinking, by situating the conversations within the wider socio-political and policy context in which these have emerged.

Date of Award	27 Oct 2023
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Abertay University
Sponsors	Northwood Charitable Trust
Supervisor	Stefano De Paoli (Supervisor) & Iain Donald (Supervisor)