Inovação social e tecnologia social: diferenças e complementaridades

Abstract

The field study of Social Management has a demand focused on understanding a complex issue that has not yet been satisfactorily resolved by its literature: it is the difference between Social Innovation (SI) and Social Technology (ST). In this perspective, this study aimed to discuss the relationships between the concepts of SI and ST, placing them in space and time, from Classical Antiquity to the contemporary debate on each approach, reinforcing the singularities of each theme, strengthening them as research fields and pointing out their differences and complementarities. In order to structure the discussions, six hypotheses were considered, three directed to the individual trajectory of the themes and three others directed to the relations between them. To support the construction of this argument, a survey of the art state of each approach was carried out, using national, international, classic and current publications. Considering the similarities between the concepts, there was an attempt to overcome the neutral and deterministic vision of Science and Technology, the fundamental way of functioning of the global economy, as well as the broadening of our view on Science, conceiving an idea of “Science with awareness". On the other hand, from the differences and complementarities presented, it was concluded that the Brazilian discussion on SI should be based on the concept of ST, which, in turn, is inseparable from the notion of SI. Finally, it was proposed to reconfigure the concepts of science and technology based on solidary technoscience, which emerges as a promise from the social field in the pursuit of interests beyond capital.