Capabilities approach and social innovation

Innovation belongs to the anatomy of modern societies. Social innovation gets to a core issue, and opens it up for new actors, networks and ideas. Due to this structural link, it also faces the challenge of making a structural difference rather than being co-opted. Part of the challenge is the link between social innovation, justice and democracy. The capabilities approach (CA) insists on the role of humans as agents in social processes. Its emphasis on central capabilities as requirements of justice points to the areas where social innovation is needed most. It does so with a focus on human diversity in context. Following a review of the literature at the intersection of CA and social innovation, the chapter concludes with research desiderata: a capabilitarian social innovation policy for a post-covid19, green human development, a more balanced research on social innovation and exnovation, and the development of impact assessment.