ABSTRACT
Social innovation (SI) is not a new concept: it has a long history, and presently very important institutions, ideas and practices are the result of social innovation (e.g. fair trade and kindergartens). In recent years, SI has become an increasingly important topic of discussion about sustaining both the transition towards more sustainable lifestyles and, controversially, economic growth (e.g. Mulgan et al. 2007; Seyfang and Smith 2007; Seyfang and Haxeltine 2012; URBACT 2015). Due to this increasing popularity, SI is almost automatically considered to be a means of creating more sustainable practices, as a result of which the need for a more thorough analysis of SI-related initiatives has emerged (e.g. Demailly and Novel 2014; Gismondi et al. 2016; Sinclair 2014). In this chapter, we address this need and contribute to the dialogue about whether SI-related practices indeed lead to more sustainable lifestyles and forms of consumption: that is, lifestyles and consumption that respect ecological limits and are more just and equitable.
