Centering a Social Innovation Lens: Formalizing the Future of Global Social Work Science

Social work's history reflects a dedication to advancing human rights and social justice through direct practice, policy advocacy, community organizing, and research. Many social workers are innovators in social welfare policy, progressive social science, and engaged scholarship. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in studying social innovations to inform and guide social work practice, research, and education. Social innovation is a field that identifies and creates novel, creative, effective, and sustainable solutions to complex social problems. It is an underutilized perspective in social work research that offers considerable value and one that can be aligned with efforts to advance decolonial and anti-oppressive practices.

The roundtable will begin with foundational concepts in social innovation, including historical precedents in the study of innovation, approaches to social problem identification, innovation-focused solution development, and iteration, and the creation of new social arrangements. Next, the roundtable will consider examples of social innovations implemented in social work practice settings, contextualize social innovation within social work's history, and consider the wider interdisciplinary lens of innovation research and its relevance for an uncertain future. Participants will discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with using social innovation theory, including the need for interdisciplinary collaboration, stakeholder engagement, and evaluation of outcomes.

The roundtable continues with the role of social innovation theory in social work research. Participants will discuss existing studies of innovation in social work, including a program of research on inclusive, impactful social entrepreneurship. They will explore potential contributions of a wider adoption of social innovation theory, particularly its focus on developing and testing innovative interventions and approaches. They will also consider the implications of social innovation theory for social work research methods, such as participatory and action research approaches and research on emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.

Finally, the roundtable will consider the role of social innovation theory in social work education. Speakers will share experiences teaching social innovation in social work classes, including Human Centered Design Thinking, decolonial approaches to social innovation, distance learning pedagogies, and integrating new technologies to promote critical thinking, creativity, and complexity. They will discuss the challenges and opportunities with teaching social innovation theory in social work education, including the need for interdisciplinary collaboration, field-based learning experiences, and continued professional development.

By bringing together both experts and new voices in social innovation theory and social work practice, the roundtable will provide an opportunity for participants to learn from each other, share their experiences, and gain new insights into the intersection of theory, research, and education. This will not only increase the understanding and collaboration between social innovation theory and social work practice but also result in the development of new and innovative approaches to address the complex challenges facing our society today. As a result, the roundtable will contribute to the ongoing efforts to create a more just and equitable society by fostering an environment of collaboration and creativity that can lead to transformative social change.