Social Sustainability Working together in improving life for all - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Social Sustainability

Working together in improving life for all

Merlina Missimer + Patricia Lagun Mesquita Department of Strategic Sustainable Development Blekinge Institute of Technology

Are ecosystems important for human life on earth?

Are social systems important for human life on earth?

Individuals connected into a system through human relationships and interaction

What do we mean by social systems?

Humanity

(and our economy)

is dependent on...

...a healthy so society ty... Economy Society Environment ...on a healthy pl planet.

Economy Society Environment In In order to ac achieve a a su susta stainable so society ty... ... Nat Nature must not be systematically degraded So Social system ems must not be systematically degraded Ec Econ

• nomic
• mic activ

ivit ity must align with such requirements.

There is another reason why social sustainability is important …

Inrease in metro fair Cost of living + Inequality

Chi Chile

In In order to ac achieve a a su susta stainable so society ty... ... Nat Nature must not be systematically degraded So Social system ems must not be systematically degraded Ec Econ

• nomic
• mic activ

ivit ity must align with such requirements.

Taxation including on what´s app Corruption + standard of living

Le Lebanon

Economic Crisis post disaster

Ha Haiti

Fight for independence

Catal Cataloni

• nia

Societal transitions and change of any kind require social acceptance and social sustainability

15

So what do we mean by social sustainability?

Social sustainability is about the basic conditions that are necessary for the social system to continue. This basic condition = not eroding core social dynamics

19

Diversity Self-organization Learning Trust Common Meaning Cor Core Soc e Social al Dy Dynami namics

In a socially sustainable society, people are not subject to structural obstacles to…

• … health
• …influence
• …competence
• …impartiality
• …meaning-making

Sustainable Social System

St Struct uctur ural al Obstacl acles es

Structural

• bstacles

refers to social constructions

• political,

economic and cultural - which are firmly established in society upheld by those with power and, are difficult or impossible to overcome or avoid by the people exposed to them.

• Formal: Official Procedures, routines, rules,

regulations and policies, laws and legislation

• Informal: Cultural norms and values, customs,
• rganizational practices and patterns

People are not subject to structural obstacles to … health

This means that people are not exposed to social conditions that systematically undermine their possibilities to avoid injury and illness; physically, mentally or emotionally, e.g. by lack of access to medical care, sufficient wages to make a decent living

People are not subject to structural obstacles to … influence

This means that people are not systematically hindered from participating in shaping the social systems they are part of, e.g. by suppression of free speech

• r lack of particaption
• pportunities

5 5

People are not subject to structural obstacles to … competence

This means that people are not systematically hindered from learning and developing competence individually and together, e.g. by obstacles for education

People are not subject to structural obstacles to … impartiality

This means that people are not systematically exposed to partial treatment, e.g. by discrimination or unfair selection to job positions, or through corruption

People are not subject to structural obstacles to …meaning-making

This means that people are not systematically hindered from creating individual meaning and co-creating common meaning, e.g. by suppression of cultural expression or

• bstacles to co-creation of purposeful

conditions.

Di Discussion

How do you see your field of work connecting to social sustainability? § In what ways might it help overcome existing structural

• bstacles?

§ In what ways might it contribute to new ones?

Awareness Baseline Creative Solutions

Present Future Image: Adapted from the Natural Step 2008

Decide on Priorities

We offer support to work strategically with these issues

Contact

Merlina Missimer Department of Strategic Sustainable Development Blekinge Institute of Technology mis@bth.se