The purpose of this site is to share resources about how to learn to think strategically about social sustainability and align our actions to make social sustainability a reality. The resources have been developed from research and teaching material and will be updated continuously.
Why social sustainability?
Social Sustainability is the most under-developed dimension of sustainability. From a theoretical perspective, it is the least developed and defined compared to, for example, ecological and economic sustainability. From a practical perspective, there is so much amazing work that goes on on the ground to combat social issues and also research that has really advanced our understanding of certain problems and how to address them. However, they are seldom coordinated into an overarching perspective as to what social sustainability is and how we work to sustain our social systems.
Why do we need this coordination? As we experience on a daily basis our social issues are complex, interrelated and often very very pressing. And they are inextricably linked to ecological issues such as climate change and land degradation. To address this "wickedness" we need approaches that can deal with the complexity, address the issues systematically and not create new problems while addressing old ones. And we need to act now!
The aim of the project behind this website has been to further develop the approach to and definition of social sustainability within the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD) and to create support tools to operationalize this definition and work with practically in various contexts.
Why do we need this coordination? As we experience on a daily basis our social issues are complex, interrelated and often very very pressing. And they are inextricably linked to ecological issues such as climate change and land degradation. To address this "wickedness" we need approaches that can deal with the complexity, address the issues systematically and not create new problems while addressing old ones. And we need to act now!
The aim of the project behind this website has been to further develop the approach to and definition of social sustainability within the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD) and to create support tools to operationalize this definition and work with practically in various contexts.
Why the FSSD?
For the past 25 years a group of scientists has explored the possibility to develop an overarching and unifying framework that would allow for a structured overview of other tools and approaches in the sustainability field. Over this 25 - year period the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD) has been tested in learning loops between scientists and practitioners and thus continuously developed. The FSSD offers exactly the kind of approach that allows for a systematic and strategic working to the wickedness of social issues. You can get an overview of the FSSD here.
The FSSD directs us to understanding both the ecological and social systems as systems that we need to sustain to meet our needs and continue life on earth. the question then becomes which basic dynamics of the social system is it that we need to sustain? And how are we currently being unsustainable and undermining these dynamics? By understanding the mechanisms with which we undermine the core dynamics of the social system, we can create re-design criterea. These function as boundary conditions for assessment of our current system and their re-designing and re-imagining.
The FSSD directs us to understanding both the ecological and social systems as systems that we need to sustain to meet our needs and continue life on earth. the question then becomes which basic dynamics of the social system is it that we need to sustain? And how are we currently being unsustainable and undermining these dynamics? By understanding the mechanisms with which we undermine the core dynamics of the social system, we can create re-design criterea. These function as boundary conditions for assessment of our current system and their re-designing and re-imagining.
About the Lead Researcher
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Merlina Missimer has been the Lead Researcher on this project for the last 10+ years. She defended her PhD on this subject area at Blekinge Institute of Technology in 2015. You can find her bio here. Please email [email protected] for questions and inquiries. |
