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My PhD project develops two main points:

1. The category of “innovation”, in the broadest meaning possible, and as opposed to mere “invention” or “discovery”, should be considered a defining term of modern societies. It can be placed among and in close relation to other notions, such as “risk”, “reflexivity” or “globalization”. Modernity can be defined by innovation.

2. “Innovation” is important not only for sociological description of modernity, but also for social theory itself. It is an example of sociology’s major issue - the “micro-macro” problem. The processes of innovation can be considered either on the (macro) level of social structure/system or individual (micro) level of agency. Whether there is a possibility to combine these perspectives on the ground of innovation studies remains an open question.

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