Chapter 1 - Introduction Flashcards
The four emergent principles of social sustainability are…
Human well-being, equity, democratic government, and democratic society
Three traditional perspectives pf research & practice for social well-being are…
Human-oriented development, sustainability, & community well-being
How do we create a virtuous cycle using social sustainability, and what is that cycle?
By following the four emergent principles we institutionalize a self-reinforcing cycle which promotes environmental and economic sustainability and community resilience.
Part one is focused on…
A broad and abstract overview of the field of social sustainability. It explores our theoretical understanding of SS, the importance of democracy, the necessity of “thinking globally,” and actionable measures for SS.
Part two is focused on…
The international perspective of social sustainability. The roles of government entities, nonprofit organizations, and civil society is examined, in addition to the potential leading role of developing countries. It also looks at the effect of environmental policies on social sustainability, particularly on child labor.
Part three is focused on…
the difficulties with measuring and reporting sustainability initiatives for businesses, the role which businesses are to play in advancing the social aspect of sustainability, and the complexity of weighing social sustainability within the modern economic sector. In relation to businesses, it explores the limits of voluntary actions, business codes, and regulations as well.
The “Triple Bottom Line” includes…
Economic, environmental, and social sustainability reporting by a business.
Part four is focused on…
Recent local implementations of the social aspect of sustainability, and the importance of place, community connections, and active citizenship. This exploration of social sustainability attempts will help guide further progress.
Three community food systems which could play a leading role in social sustainability are…
Farmers markets
Community gardens
Food policy councils
Part five is focused on…
Summarizing the ideas presented, relating them to one another and the overarching questions of SS, and examining the future direction for further research and application in SS.
Social sustainability is caught between two conflicting issues -
- Raising the living standards for the world’s poorest citizens, and
- Working and living within environmental constraints.
Social sustainability is the bedrock for environmental sustainability because…
Community engagement and involvement plays a key role in environmental sustainability, and adequate, representative community engagement is only possible through social sustainability.
Three interrelated, overlapping, and mutually dependent goals of social sustainability
- To live in a way that is environmentally feasible
- To live in a way that is economically sustainable and which maintains living standards over the long-term, and
- To live in a way that is socially sustainable now and into the future.
Why is distancing economic sustainability from social sustainability a problem?
Economic sustainability could actually be considered an element of social sustainability, because it is a social construction. Modern economics undervalues support systems such as households, communities, and the public sector.
How does social sustainability research compare to environmental and economic sustainability research?
It lags behind.
