Social sustainability
Social sustainability refers to the capacity of a community or society to maintain social well-being over the long term. It encompasses various aspects including social equity, community development, human rights, and social justice, highlighting the interconnectedness of these elements with economic and environmental sustainability. A key principle of social sustainability is the engagement of citizens in participatory processes, ensuring that development plans reflect the needs and voices of the community. Quality of life is a central focus, influenced not only by environmental conditions but also by economic factors.
Social capital plays a vital role in fostering community connections, supporting individuals through networks that provide emotional, social, and professional resources. However, social capital can be wielded for both positive and negative purposes, underscoring the importance of ethical considerations in community initiatives. Challenges to social sustainability often arise from cultural traditions that marginalize certain groups, hindering their participation in societal development and perpetuating cycles of poverty. Thus, the promotion of cooperation and inclusive practices is essential for maintaining the health and resilience of social systems.
Social sustainability
Social sustainability is the ability of a social system, such as a country or community, to indefinitely maintain an adequate level of social well-being. It involves social relationships, interactions, and institutions that affect viable development. Social sustainability includes areas such as social equity, community development, human rights, and social justice and overlaps with some aspects of economic and environmental sustainability.
Because the word "sustainability" implies a long-term ability for the society to maintain its chosen level of operation or function, environmental and economic planning have a large impact on social sustainability. Also, when housing, transportation, and lifestyle support community living, it is much more sustainable than if circumstances isolate members of the community from each other.
Principles of Social Sustainability
Key principles of social sustainability address community needs, such as quality of life, economic conditions, the environment, and the structure of the government. Because each community and its population differs, plans for development or change should involve citizens through a participatory process that keeps communication open and engages individuals in decisions that affect sustainability. Improvements, especially those paid for by local taxes, should benefit residents and help maintain the health and balance of the community.
Quality of life involves the comfort and safety of a community's environment, but it also depends to some extent on economic conditions. Whether it is a quiet, rural township where residents must drive long distances to work or a city planning an urban renewal project, both should look at the long-term effects of any changes and ensure the sustainability of the project. For example, if a rural county allows natural gas drilling, some residents may be happy to find well-paying jobs or collect a windfall in royalties for the gas pumped from their land. However, residents will also experience continuous truck traffic on their formerly quiet roads, high housing prices as gas workers pour into the area, and the possibility of polluted water from the processes and wastewater involved. The influx may affect tourism, if that is part of the local economy, and crime often increases when drillers move in. Stores and hotels that expand to meet the demands of the new industry take on large debts. However, if and when the gas runs out or an oversupply causes prices to drop, operations slow, workers leave, and the economy suffers financially. Residents and government officials also must consider the long-term effects on the environment, since clean air and water are vital to both quality of life and sustainability.
How such decisions are made and how study results affect individual lives are important aspects of policy making for social sustainability. In its study of sustainable growth, the United Nations looked at five aspects of community development: population statistics, health, education, poverty, and housing. How local agencies respond to community needs affects individual lives and future policy making.
Social Capital
Social capital is important to social sustainability because of the way it connects people in the community. It also includes investing in and maintaining services and values important to members of the society, such as education, human rights, collective trust, and personal relationships. Through a network of community connections, individuals gain bonding social capital with others in similar circles, such as family, coworkers, teachers, and friends, who provide emotional and physical support when needed. Bridging social capital involves networking with people in similar circumstances for the purpose of accessing professional resources, exchanging ideas, and establishing political connections.
Such connections help spread ideas and coordinate plans and activities within communities, contributing to social development and sustainability. However, social capital can work for either positive or negative goals. For example, while many social organizations provide services or raise money for charitable causes, others undermine civil rights or promote violence and hate.
Characterizing Social Sustainability
Social sustainability involves investments and maintenance of services and beliefs that enable society to function. Government and community groups must work together under the laws, shared values, and accepted social standards to develop and meet goals for social sustainability. Some goals may include community cohesion, equal rights, tolerance, ethical behavior, honesty, and cultural connectedness. For example, a community that shares a bond through literature, art, and religious values has social capital to maintain cohesion. However, in a community in which individual competition and economic gain trump equal rights and cooperation, the social sustainability is in danger of weakening. A certain degree of cooperation is necessary to avoid social problems and violence that negatively affect sustainability.
Negative Factors in Social Sustainability
Sustainability indicates that the social organizations and the actions of individuals and groups should be maintained into the future. Yet in many parts of the world, cultural traditions limit the participation of certain groups in society, including women or individuals belonging to a particular religion or ethnic group. By leaving women out of the social and economic loop, for example, a large part of the population is excluded from participating in the development of the society. In addition, birth rates are much higher in areas where women are excluded, as are poverty rates. As a result, the country's population grows, but its economy does not, a condition that is not sustainable.
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