Social Alchemy — more than just a Hipster catchphrase

Collins dictionary defines an alchemist as:

‘ a scientist in the MiddleAges who tried to discover how to change ordinary metals into gold.”

In recent years this term has been given a new lease of life with the idea of ‘social alchemy’. Often framed as ‘turning bad into good’, Paulo Coelho breaks this down further in his book ‘The Alchemist’ by explaining that social alchemists “show that, when we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”

Yet calling oneself a Social Alchemist can often be scoffed at, seen as having more than a tinge of the Hipster. Plus, it’s all a bit vague isn’t it?

Well, let’s get down into some specifics shall we.

The theory

Social Impact Architects (2014) developed the below framework to break down the Social Alchemist approach to problem solving and it expertly documents why this identity is more than just catchphrase.

In order for brevity, I am going to focus on three key themes that run through the theory. A more detailed breakdown of the approach can be found here.

Exploration

We live in a society with a narrative where problems need to be identified and solved quickly and efficiently but…