Sociological field theories provide perspectives on today’s innovations, enabling us to expand the established spectrum of innovation theories. The chapter will outline three perspectives of fields and discuss them in relation to innovation: Pierre Bourdieu’s understanding of fields as “networks of objective relations among positions” currently advanced by Neil Fligstein and Doug McAdam’s “strategic action fields,” Paul DiMaggio and Walter Powell’s concept of “organizational fields” as “areas of institutional life” developed further by Andrew Hoffman with his notion of “issue-based field,” and my own thoughts on “fields as social systems.” It is shown that all three field approaches provide researchers with theoretically informed frameworks for analyzing innovations produced and reproduced by ensembles of heterogeneous actors in today’s innovation societies. Due to the complexity and challenging conditions of today’s innovation processes, the analytical potential of field analysis is being explored worldwide. Additionally, fields serve as radically modern ‘laboratories for societal production and reproduction,’ underscoring the significance of field theory.

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Innovation Fields: Field-Theoretical Perspectives on Innovation

  • Arnold Windeler

摘要

Sociological field theories provide perspectives on today’s innovations, enabling us to expand the established spectrum of innovation theories. The chapter will outline three perspectives of fields and discuss them in relation to innovation: Pierre Bourdieu’s understanding of fields as “networks of objective relations among positions” currently advanced by Neil Fligstein and Doug McAdam’s “strategic action fields,” Paul DiMaggio and Walter Powell’s concept of “organizational fields” as “areas of institutional life” developed further by Andrew Hoffman with his notion of “issue-based field,” and my own thoughts on “fields as social systems.” It is shown that all three field approaches provide researchers with theoretically informed frameworks for analyzing innovations produced and reproduced by ensembles of heterogeneous actors in today’s innovation societies. Due to the complexity and challenging conditions of today’s innovation processes, the analytical potential of field analysis is being explored worldwide. Additionally, fields serve as radically modern ‘laboratories for societal production and reproduction,’ underscoring the significance of field theory.