A inovação social e o desafio da transformação social: a experiência do living lab habitat

Abstract

Habitat means the natural home or environment of a specie, which offers the favorable conditions for life and its development. Not only housing is part of this concept, but also access to education, work, leisure and safety. Brazilian Constitution secures those rights for life dignity. However, there is still a plethora of Brazilian citizens that are not covered by public policies. The Habitat Living Lab emerges as a new field of practice to assist this unreached people group. Through new social relations, Living Lab Habitat acts in favor of the society, using social innovation multi-methods, to achieve community transformation. The present study aims to deepen the understanding about Living Lab Habitat at Território do Bem community, seeking to understand its role as agent of both social innovation and transformation. A case study was conducted with Habitat actors, by using semi-structured interviews. Social innovation has not been developed in its entirety since the co-creation and active user involvement principles did not include nor impact the whole community. Real life-setting and multi-method approach criteria has been well developed. Because of contrasting actors’ objectives, multi-stakeholder participation criteria had not been succeeding. Thereby causing conflicts that led to the rupture of Living Lab Habitat. Therefore, neither social innovation nor social transformation was developed, due the predominance of hindering than facilitating factors.