Gendered Potentials and Delimitations in the Church of Sweden’s Social Innovation

Abstract

This paper presents a conceptual study of the gendered perspectives on welfare and diaconia articulated in two recently published policy documents by the Church of Sweden, the Church’s platform for welfare and the Bishop’s letter on diaconia. It distinguishes how social innovation processes in the Church are enhanced or hampered by gendered potentials and delimitations. Such processes are increasingly being perceived as essential to the changing role the Church has in society as a consequence of the formal separation from the Swedish state and the growing importance of civil society organizations (CSOs) as welfare-service providers in Sweden.

Keywords

• church of sweden
• diaconia
• gender
• social innovation
• societal challenges