Social innovation is a process in which local communities build social and cultural capital to address challenges and social needs. The diffusion of social innovation requires compelling narratives that encourage people to join them. Using qualitative techniques and a multiple case study methodology, this article examines the content of narratives of social innovation in rural areas and how actors construct, spread and change them. We propose a narrative analytical framework comprising four key components: problematisation; solutions and goals; actors; and plot, which we apply to three initiatives in Scotland and Spain. Our findings suggest that marginalisation, the natural environment and community activation are central themes in the content of narratives. In addition, we explain how policies and public actors can support social innovation as well as how collective leadership of social innovations can reduce imbalances in power relations, and contribute to a consistent evolution of narratives over time, enhancing the sustainability of social innovation projects overall.

Social innovation is gaining momentum in academia, policy and practice, as a process by which local communities generate new social relations and become more capable of addressing social needs and opportunities. However, there is significant ambiguity about the role of the different types of actors involved in social innovation, particularly in rural areas. This article aims to examine which actors make social innovation in rural areas possible, and the roles they play in these processes. Drawing on 33 interviews carried out with key informants of three socially innovative initiatives developed in rural areas of Spain and Scotland, this paper illustrates the scale, role and logic of the actors involved. The findings of the study clarify the central role of local processes and local actors, the impact of facilitators and perceived neutrality. They also show the contribution of social economy organizations as an arena for coordinating plural networks and civil society initiatives. The way the public sector and LEADER participate in social innovation processes in rural areas are also reflected in the results.

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Los estudios de desarrollo local, durante los últimos años, han recuperado la innovación social cómo perspectiva analítica de los cambios organizativos y procesos de transformación de las relaciones sociales en el territorio. Con ello, surge el interés de cómo estudiar lo intangible de esta dimensión del desarrollo local. A partir de aquí, el capital social cobra especial interés como enfoque teórico para poder interpretar el análisis relacional. Así, mediante el caso de estudio de una iniciativa socialmente innovadora (Alianza Mar Blava, en el área de Ibiza y Formentera), esta investigación identifica la red social de actores relevantes y caracteriza las redes personales y otros atributos de los actores clave (a partir de 35 entrevistas en profundidad). Para ello se utiliza la metodología de Análisis de Redes Sociales, combinando análisis estructural sociocéntrico con análisis atributivo egocéntrico. Los resultados para este caso de estudio ponen de relieve que el poder en la red se encuentra distribuido entre los diferentes perfiles socioprofesionales. Asimismo, los actores con mayor control sobre la red son mujeres y jóvenes con estudios superiores. A modo de conclusión, se reflexiona sobre las dinámicas de innovación y desarrollo que pueden promover redes sociales como las observadas en Alianza Mar Blava.