Ecosocial innovations in the context of sustainability transition creating alternative ways of work and participation

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1 Ecosocial innovations in the context of sustainability transition creating alternative ways of work and participation Aalto Sustainability Science Day 18 May 2018 Hirvilammi, Tuuli; Stamm, Ingo; Matthies, Aila-Leena & Närhi, Kati University of Jyväskylä / Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius

2 ECOSOS Research project ECOSOS - Contribution of social work and systems of income security to the ecosocial transformation of society Funded by the Finnish Academy ( ) Research team consists of two social work professors and two post-doc researchers General aims: To search for different understandings and more sustainable forms of work and wellbeing To understand how present social work and systems of income security either support or prevent these new forms and to see how they could contribute to a transition towards sustainability

3 Work in the context of sustainability transition Transition changes the production practices and employment structure Transition can be fostered by creating novel and alternative practices for work and participation at a local level 3

4 Sustainability transition Long-term, multi-dimensional, and fundamental transformation processes through which established socio-technical systems shift to more sustainable modes of production and consumption Includes many changes in socio-technical and socio-economic systems Multi-actor processes with significant role of interactions between different stakeholders (e.g. Markard et al. 2012; Geels 2018)

5 Multi-level perspective on transitions Landscape Regime Niche Ecosocial innovations See Geels & Schot 2007

6 From social innovations to ecosocial innovations Social innovations = changes in social relations, involving new ways of doing, organizing, framing and knowing (Haxeltine et al. 2013) Ecosocial innovations = social innovations with a clear and consistent ecological approach, aiming at sustainability transition Drawing on the ecosocial approach in social work and social policy research 6

7 Searching for ecosocial innovations Grassroots level social innovations that create new social relationships and improve ecological sustainability Practices that cover simultaneously social, economic and ecological challenges The organizations, projects or self-organized groups that have developed new practices of sustainable production and participation, especially with people outside the labour market or in precarious situation

8 The development of ecosocial innovations requires strong commitment and engagement, which builds a necessary part of sustainability transition. However, the ecosocial innovations created on the niche level can face various financial and social challenges and can rarely provide a sufficient income for the participants. Research questions: How is the development of ecosocial innovations possible with limited financial resources to employ workers? What kind of work is needed in the practices of the ecosocial innovations? How the people who are involved in the ecosocial innovations make their living and what funding and income sources are in use? How regime-level actors are involved in the development of the ecosocial innovations?

9 Methods Mapping phase: searching ecosocial innovations for case studies Multicase study Field visits and interviews Inductive coding Categorization, thematic analysis

10 Case 1: Hirvitalo Center of Contemporary Art Pispala (since 2006) Aim at enriching local cultural activities Provides an open space with exhibitions, social kitchen, events, gardening, sauna etc. Mainly based on voluntary activism 1-2 unemployed work trainers (6 months periods)

11 Case 2: Oma maa An organic food co-operative (since 2013) Follows the ideas of Community supported agriculture Aims at transforming food production system Producers and food members, mainly based on voluntary work 1-3 paid gardeners during the summer months

12 Case 3: Lapinlahden lähde An open space for holistic wellbeing and cultural events managed by the Association of Mental Health in Finland (since 2014) Vegetarian lunch café, gallery space, sauna, events, upcycling shop etc. Aims at provide meaningful work especially for young people Workers paid by the project funding, subsidized work, work trainers, rehabilitation 12

13 Diverse practices of labour to cultivate land, grow vegetables, take care of animals, build and renovate houses, transport goods, cook, clean, wash dishes, sell products, advertise and recruit more participants, PR and social media, plan and organize events, host events and exhibitions, manage budgets, bookkeeping, apply grants and other funds etc. Wage Alternative paid Reciprocal labour Work for welfare Unpaid Volunteer Self-provisioning (Gibson-Graham J K, Cameron J and Healy S 2013 Take back the economy. An ethical guide for transforming our Communities. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis)

14 Funding and income sources HT: Grants for art projects OM: Minor amount of agriculture support by the state LL: Project funding from European Social Fund etc. HT & LL: Low rents OM: Membership fees from consumption and production members What are the options or alternatives, if a person decided to be actively involved in ecosocial innovations rather than being in full-time paid work? Subsidized employment, low wage Social benefits: unemployment benefit, housing benefit, minimum social assistance Voluntary poverty Charity or financial support from family members

15 Challenges Insufficient financial recources Limited funding Unstable market position Impossible to hire workers Impossible to make long-term plans Uneven work load, not enough workers Unclear governance and decision making structure Dispute over the space with municipality authors, not fixed rental agreements Regulation of employment measures Less support for not for profit innovations than for for profit companies

16 Relationship with regime level authorities Regime: encourages but prevents - Comprehensive employment system and social benefit - Funding instruments, financial support - Recognition, awards - Low rent of public space - Owner of the space, can control and decide - Regulation and rules of employment policies and funding instruments Ecosocial innovations: alternative but dependent - Participants need to pretend being passive in order to get unemployment benefits - Participants need to make living by working elsewhere - Mission: being outside the system, radical and alternative autonomy but in practice: dependent on the authorities

17 Preliminary conclusions The possibilities of ecosocial innovations to foster transition are limited Discouraging impacts of regime level rules The need for income in employment society - Welfare state is based on narrow conception of economy and work - The development of ecosocial innovations calls for better support to local economy and diverse forms of work from regime level actors

18 An open question: Is it feasible to analyze the ecosocial innovations from the perspective of MLP and the interaction between niche and regime level actors? Can we use MLP framework without addressing the questions of historical dynamics of transition? Do the nichel level ecosocial innovations have any possibilities to challenge regime level? The process of reinstitutionalisation means changes in work, human aspirations and forms of protection (Geels 2018, 76-78): is there any evidence?

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