Understanding the Social Dimension of Sustainability

by Dillard, Jesse; Dujon, Veronica; King, Mary C.

• ISBN13: 9780203892978
• ISBN10: 0203892976
• Copyright: 2008-10-02
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Summary

The imperative of the twenty-first century is sustainability: to raise the living standards of the world's poor and to achieve and maintain high levels of social health among the affluent nations while simultaneously reducing and reversing the environmental damage wrought by human activity. Scholars and practitioners are making progress toward environmental and economic sustainability, but we have very little understanding of the social dimension of sustainability. This volume is an ambitious, multi-disciplinary effort to identify the key elements of social sustainability through an examination of what motivates its pursuit and the conditions that promote or detract from its achievement. Included are theoretical and empirical pieces; examination of international and local efforts; discussions highlighting experiences in both the developing and industrialized nations; and a substantial focus on business practices. Contributors are grounded in sociology, economics, business administration, public administration, public health, geography, education and natural resource management.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Overviews of the Field

Emergent Principles of Social Sustainability

An Inquiry into the Theoretical Basis of Sustainability: Ten Propositions

An Antidote to a Partial Economics of Sustainability

International Perspectives

Global Civil Society: Architect and Agent of International Democracy and Sustainability

In the Absence of Affluence: The Struggle for Social Sustainability in the Third World

Child Labor and Improved Common Forest Management in Bolivia

The Role of Business

Social Sustainability: An Organizational Level Analysis

Social Sustainability: One Company's Story

Working out Social Sustainability on the Ground

Triple Bottom Line: A Business Metaphor for a Social Construct

Local Applications

Exploring Common Ground: Community Food Systems and Social Sustainability

Social Capital and Community-University Partnerships

Advancing Social Sustainability: An Intervention Approach

Integration and Conclusion

Reflection and Directions for the Future

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