Impossible innovation as a sociological object: case study of the implementation of an integrative system for services to elderly people losing their autonomy
Innovative processes frequently result in underwhelming outcomes and are more often than not marked by questionable strategic or ideological intentions. This article attempts to shed light on these disappointments and critiques from a sociological perspective. Innovative processes habitually disappoint because they are impossible, in the sense of Freud’s famous description of the trades which functions are highly valuable, but who appear intrinsically inefficient. Studying innovative processes thus requires shifting our focus from evaluating their success or efficiency in regards to predetermined objectives to gaining a more profound understanding of their real effects. This proposition will be discussed via the case of an immense innovative endeavour, i.e. the implementation of a system intended to favor the integration of health and social services for frail elderly people in Québec, Canada. While the gap between the possibilities promoted by this innovation and the reality of its implementation is wide, it importantly contributed to the development of a new conception of how health and social care should be dispensed.