ID62: Social innovation in mountain areas

Details

  • Full Title

    From constraints to opportunities for social innovation: To what extent do mountain conditions favor the emergence of collective action for society and environment?

  • Scheduled

  • Convener

  • Co-Conveners

    Carine Pachoud, Rosalind Bryce, Etienne Polge and Olivier Barrière

  • Assigned to Synthesis Workshop

     

  • Keywords

    Social innovation, collective action, citizen engagement, geographic specificities, community development

Description

Mountain areas are characterized by specific social and environmental challenges where social innovation (SI) may emerge. According to the H2020 SIMRA project, social innovation refers to “the reconfiguring of social practices, in response to societal challenges, which seeks to enhance outcomes on societal well-being and necessarily includes the engagement of civil society actors”. SI provides alternative models that can contribute towards ecological and social transitions in mountain areas. Examples include cooperatives for territorial resilience, citizen-run shops, agricultural collectives, community energy initiatives, social farming and valorization of cultural heritage and identity. Outputs may be intangible and include innovative modes of governance, engagement of new actors and lead to more empowered communities. This session will explore the role and organization of SI collective action in mountain areas. It will address the motivations for action and consider how SI emergence and development depends on the specific context and conditions of mountain areas.

Registered Abstracts

ID63: Social strategies and rituality in ancient mountain landscapes
ID61: Snow cover change and mountain ecology