Abstract
The aim of this chapter is to discuss social innovation and the importance of social innovation in the dimension of innovative approach in social work organizations. When a rapid change is experienced in social, economic, cultural, technological, and many other areas, while it is very important to be in conformity with these changes, renewals, or developments, it is also very important to create rapid and effective solutions to requirements that differ and change. Creating new and different solutions in line with innovative approaches in the face of complex social problems is summarized as “social innovation.” In this study, the concepts of social work and social innovation, the importance of social innovation in social work organizations, and social innovation practices in the dimension of innovative approach in social work organizations are examined and discussed with a conceptual dimension.
TopConceptual Framework
It is seen that in recent years, with the effect of globalization, important problems have been experienced in terms of social rights. In the new global liberalism, it is stated that the customer, not the equal and entitled citizen of the nation-state; individual responsibility, not a public liability; the private and civil sector, not the state bureaucracy; prioritizing voluntary benevolence, not social rights are considered at the forefront. Instead of national programs aiming to provide centralized, standardized, and easy access to the disadvantaged, fragmented, local, private, and third-sector programs are preferred. It is stated that these developments can be perceived as signs of transition to a market and work-oriented, individual responsibility, volunteering, and philanthropic-oriented and economic benefit-based welfare model. Therefore, it is stated that the poor people, constituting one of the basic social groups at the center of social and economic rights, are affected by this process (Çetin, 2014, p.19).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Digital Social Innovation: The process of generating digital solutions with innovative methods for the needs of disadvantaged groups in the face of social problems.
Social Work: Systematic and continuous activities aiming at social change and development, meeting the needs of individuals with special needs, supporting and empowering individuals in the society in every aspect and increasing the general welfare level.
Social Work Organizations: Organizations that provide social services to meet the needs of persons or groups experiencing victimization or in need of empowerment.
Non-Governmental Organization: Non-profit legal organization that independently addresses various problems in society and aims at good living conditions in line with social, cultural, political, legal, and environmental purposes and has the role of enlightening the society by informing the public.
Social Innovation: The process of creating change in disadvantaged groups in line with social value goals and generating effective and sustainable innovative solutions to existing social problems.
Disadvantaged Group: Social groups with special needs who cannot benefit from the opportunities offered in areas such as health, education, employment, social support sufficiently or not at all due to their deprivation or poverty situations, gender, ethnic, language, religious differences, and similar reasons.
Innovation: The process of creative solutions, which includes the transformation of new creative ideas into economic and social value or the significant improvement of the existing one.