Social innovations and the intergration of people with disabilities in Russia Christian Fröhlich...

Social innovations and the intergration of people with

disabilities in Russia

Christian FröhlichHigher School of Economics / Södertörn University

Высшая школа экономики, Москва, 25.05.2015

www.hse.ru

Высшая школа экономики, Москва, 2015

Introduction

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• worldwide over a billion people with a disability, about 15% of the world population (WHO 2011)

• in Russia in 2010 about 9% of the population or 13,2 million people (Romanov/Jarskaja-Smirnova 2010)

• significant proportion of the population, but marginalized and segregated because of• public finances or technical difficulties• social, political and cultural patterns

• social integration of the disabled = process of transformation of social relations, political decision-making and cultural representation


Introduction

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• Civil society and its organizations = driving forces of transformation by producing social innovations

• But under which circumstances and conditions? What are factors enabling the production of social innovations?

• Study based on semi-structured interviews in Moscow, St Petersburg, Nizhniy Novgorod, and Perm in 2009/10


Social Innovations

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• Lack of a theoretical basis and clear operationalizations (Voorberg et al. 2013)• Complex process measured in its distinct form in a concrete context (Bund et

al. 2013)

• “Social innovations are new solutions (products, services, models, markets, processes etc.) that simultaneously meet a social need (more effectively than existing solutions) and lead to new or improved capabilities and relationships and better use of assets and resources.” (Young Foundation 2012: 18)

• Social innovations „relative“ to certain aspects of social reality: passage to new social relations and social practices which meet needs better (Gillwald 2000)

• Pre-condition: new models of interpreting society lead to new awareness of social problems/needs and to new means to solve them = new social practices = social innovations


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Social Innovations and Civil Society

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• But which factors initiate the process of formation of new social models and practices? (Krlev, Bund and Mildenberger, 2014)• Ressources (personal, finances, infrastructure)• Institutions: provide cultural-cognitive models, norms and practical regulations• Politics: open political environment• Society: social attitudes influence implementation of new social practices

• Actors of civil society related to all above factors (Edwards 2009):• Economic role: capacity of service provision /for developing infrastructure• Social role: social capital & new norms/models of behaviour (institutional role)• Political role: monitoring of state and promotion of good governance

• Civil Society = social environment & realm of activities , which enable• Detection of new problems• Articulation of demands to solve them• New social practices and relations = social innovations


Disability in the Soviet Union

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• Social classification of the disabled based on the (dis-)ability to work

• State paternalism: access to society regulated by state organs

• Medical model of disability: physical/psychological reasons for deviance to be corrected and cured in state institutions

• For certain categories of disabled people existed „protected“ spaces of living and working

• Voicing of problems/demands stongly limited, independent social organisation prohibited and repressed

• 1980: «There are no invalids in the USSR»


Perestroika and the 1990s

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• Mid 1980s: „Glasnost‘“ and opening of society• Voicing of problems, critique and demands• Self-organizing and interest group formation

• 1990s: crash of economy and downfall of welfare system• Self-help groups• Non-governmental interest protection

• 1988 Allrussian Society of the Disabled• 1995 Law “On the social protection of the disabled“• 2008 Russia signs UN convention, 2012 ratifies


Pre-conditions of Social Innovations

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• Pull-factors of the innovation process:

• Bad socio-economic situation• Lack of social welfare• Weak rehabilitation structures• Social exlusion• Discrimination and negative social attitudes

• Development of non-governmental self-organisation• International support

Rise of new demands/needs


Pre-conditions of Social Innovations 2

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Pre-conditions for Social Innovations 3

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Social Innovations 1

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• New social practices:

• Autonomous collective actions• Social entrepreneurship• democratization

• Politicization• Protests, petitions• Participation in poltical processes and decisions, consultations

• Use of legal measures• Social advocate• Court trails• Lobbying for legal change

• Opening up public space, implementing universal design


Social Innovations 5

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• New educational and professional practices• Consulting• Inclusive education• Inclusive work places

• Changing public opinion/attitudes• Social advertisment• Cultural events• Overcoming social distance

• New forms of rehabilitation• Open institutions• Individualization

101000, Россия, Москва, Мясницкая ул., д. 20Тел.: (495) 621-7983, факс: (495) 628-7931

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Social innovations and the intergration of people with disabilities in Russia Christian Fröhlich...

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