Week 3: Solutions and Enablers to
Deliver Basic Human Needs
When I am exposed to new, thoughtful social innovations, I
am left feeling inspired and curious. The cynic in me wonders, why has it taken
so long? The idealist in me sighs, at least we’re getting there.
After reading the articles about Solutions and Enablers to
Deliver Basic Human Needs, a very strange thought occurred to me: is social
innovation simply the interaction between technology and generational theory?
To start with, let’s ground ourselves in what I mean by
Generational Theory. Here’s a seriously rudimentary breakdown: http://socalledmillennial.com/generational-cycles/.
Surely, innovation doesn’t have to be a specifically a brand
new technical creation. It can be the repurposing of a process or system that
exists, creating a unique end. According
to Prof. Zak—innovation requires an element of novelty.
So with the advent of technology, of course we would find
ways to repurpose the technology that exists to meet new needs. But I wonder—is
there a trend between the era you were raised in and the kind of social
innovations you will be pre-programmed to conceptualize? As a millennial, am I
predisposed to want to find ways to ‘clean things up’ or ‘rebuild institutions’
(socalledmillenial.com)? Moreover, is the focus of GenX on finding solutions
regarding basic human needs and survival? It leaves me wanting to run an
analysis on the number of social innovations out there and what kinds of
problems they hope to solve.
For example: I know that from the way I think, I am clearly
a millennial—I always think in terms of systems, institutions, and impact.
Things I aspire to create will almost always be in the context of fixing
systems and correcting processes within institutions. Khan—he would be on the
cusp of GenX and Millennial—is the Khan Academy just a focus on reframing
educational institutions or is it a chance at redefining quality of life
through access to basic education at your own pace?
Surely, I acknowledge that this is a loosely applied theory
in this situation, which leaves room for loose interpretation. Of course—I
think there’s a lot more that can be unpacked, especially all the other
elements of social location (See: Feminist
Standpoint Theory and Subjective
Social Location) that contribute to your lived experience. Nonetheless, I
can’t help but to wonder if there is a correlation between trends in innovation and the shared experience of a generation.
http://www.iep.utm.edu/fem-stan/#H3
http://www.fastcodesign.com/1673029/on-sale-for-150-one-laptop-per-child-is-now-a-touchscreen-tablet
http://www.fastcoexist.com/1679719/build-your-own-civilization-with-the-global-village-construction-set
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