Innovations and social problem solving: A comparative study

This article explores the practical implementation of two innovative projects in Denmark and Sweden. The research is motivated by the high political interest for innovations as a modern quick fix to societal problems. Innovations are regarded as an all-round solution; however, research has mainly been focused on technical and economical factors without considering social problem solving. Utilizing ethnographic methodology, the study reveals that the same innovative process solves problems on one structural level, but creates new problems on another. Faith is generally seen as an important element of innovations geared to social problem solving. Results shows that faith is bound to certain structural levels and that a given innovative process runs the risk of creating conflicting perceptions at different levels. The research demonstrates the importance of including components such as value differences, conflicts of interest, and ideology when promoting innovations and when studying innovative efforts.