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Topic: Sustainable Social Development

By Genevieve M. Nangit

The practices of humans are not a sole product of their cognition or instinct. Rather,
practices are developed as the individual interact and participate in the social system that
he or she belongs (Jackson, 2005; Etievant, 2010; Power, 2010). Practices of individuals
are cyclic in pattern and multi-dimensional in perspective (Gruber, nd; Warde &
Southerton, 2012; Helledie, 2014; Wilhite, 2012; Gronow, 2012), and because of these
characteristics, certain practices toward a sustainable social development is multi-level
and multi-lateral in approach (McNulty, 2013; Flay, Snyder, & Petraitis, 2009; Southerton,
McMeekin, & Evans, 2011; Rivera, 2012).

Before I proceed on the rationale and the details of the conduct of this study, I would like
to discuss first the concepts that influenced the formation of the term sustainable social
development. And the concepts are social development, sustainable development and
social in sustainable development. I collected several definitions for each concept to
facilitate the delineation of the term sustainable social development.
Table 1. Definitions of Social Development
Definitions
Social development - one that is concerned with processes of
change that lead to improvements in human well-being, social
relations and social institutions, and that are equitable,
sustainable, and compatible with principles of democratic
governance and social justice (Page 2).1
By Midgley, social development is a process of planned social
change designed to promote the well-being of the population as
a whole in conjunction with a dynamic process of economic
development (Page 74).2
By Paiva [], social development means the development of
peoples capacity to work continuously for the welfare of their
own and for their society as well (Page 76).2
Hollister (1975) defines social development as the process of
planned institutional change to bring about a better fit between
human needs, social policies and programmes (Page 77).2

Extracted phrases that

reflects common concepts
across the other definitions
Process of change that leads
to improvements in human
well-being, social relations
and social institutions
Process of planned social
change to promote the wellbeing of the population
Development of peoples
capacity to work continuously
for the welfare of their own
and for their society
Process of planned
institutional change to bring
about a better fit between
human needs, social policies
and programmes

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Definitions
Kulkarni (1979) defines social development as a process of
systematic change (values, institutions and practices)
purposefully initiated through the instruments of social policy
and planning for improvements in the levels of living and quality
of life of the people, particularly, the weaker sections among
them, with their own active involvement at all stages (Page 78). 2
Kothari (1993) believes that for obtaining social development
people should have opportunity to participate in decisionmaking process. People are to be central in the whole
development process (Page 79).2
1

Extracted phrases that

reflects common concepts
across the other definitions
Process of systematic change
[] purposefully initiated []
and planning for
improvements in the levels of
living and quality of life of
people
People should have
opportunity to participate in
decision-making process

(United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, 2011)

2006)

2 (Khoda,

I was able to extract a common concept that existed among the definitions of the term
social development. The concept of social development pertains to the process of change
that is planned and systematic and are initiated by people who are at the same time
beneficiary of the results.
I have observed that the process of change that is present in all definitions in Table 1 is
not individualistic but societal in nature, in other words, it is a change that is entirely
comprised of people. Given that the meaning denotes people, it implies empowerment
that results to active involvement in the process of change, and with this, the term become
true to its usage and could be in general referred as improvement in the social welfare.
Synthesizing, social development is a systematic process of change that is initiated by the
people who at the same time will benefit from the outcome of their own decisions and
actions.
Table 2. Definitions of Sustainable Development
Definitions
According to Viederman (1994), sustainability is a participatory
process that creates and pursues a vision of community that
respects and makes prudent use of all its resources natural,
human, human-created, social, cultural, scientific, etc.
Sustainability seeks to ensure, to the degree possible, that
present generations attain a high degree of economic security
and can realize democracy and popular participation in control
of their communities, while maintaining the integrity of the

Extracted phrases that

reflects common concepts
across the other definitions
-Participatory process
-Pursues a vision of
community
-Maintaining the integrity of
the ecological systems
-Assuming responsibility to
future generations to provide

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Definitions
ecological systems upon which all life and all production
depends, and while assuming responsibility to future
generations to provide them with the where-with-all for their
vision, hoping that they have the wisdom and intelligence to use
what is provided in an appropriate manner.(Page 877) 1
According to Costanza, Daly and Bartholomew (1991),
sustainability is a relationship between dynamic human
economic systems and larger dynamic, but normally slowerchanging ecological systems, in which (a) human life can
continue indefinitely, (b) human individuals can flourish, and (c)
human cultures can develop; but in which effects of human
activities remain within bounds, so as not to destroy the
diversity, complexity, and function of the ecological life support
system. (Page 877).1
Development is unsustainable when an enlargement of human
choice excludes, disconnects, promotes inequity, reflects
imprudence or raises insecurity (Page 878).1
The concept of sustainable development is quite different from
that of sustainability in that the word development clearly
points to the idea of change, or directional and progressive
changedevelopment does not necessarily mean quantitative
growth, being more alien to the notion of qualitative unfolding of
potentialities and increasing complexity (which depending on the
concrete situation, may or may not include or require
quantitative growth)What is sustained, or has to be made
sustainable, is the process of improvement of the human
condition (or better, of the socio-ecological system to which
humans pertain), a process that does not necessarily require
indefinite growth in the consumption of energy and materials.
(Page 19)2

Extracted phrases that

reflects common concepts
across the other definitions
them with the where-with-all
for their vision

-A relationship between
dynamic human economic
systems and larger dynamic,
but normally slower-changing
ecological systems

-Human choices that include,

connect, promote equity,
reflects prudence and raise
security
-The process of improvement
of the human condition
-A process that does not
necessarily require indefinite
growth in the consumption of
energy and materials

1 (Gladwin,
2

Kennelly, & Krause, 1995)

(Gallopin, 2003)

Synthesizing the data in Table 2, sustainable development is a process of improvement

of human condition without compromising the ecological system. It entails a dynamic
relationship between human and the environment. A relationship that exhibits prudence
and regard to the future generations when exercising the consumption of the natural
resources.

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Table 3. The Concepts of Social in Sustainable Development

Definitions
A socially sustainable system must achieve
distributional equity, adequate provision of social
services including health and education, gender,
equity, and political accountability and participation.
(Page 6)1
The concept of sustainable development raises the
issue of whether present life-styles are accepted and
whether there is any reasons to pass them on to the
next generation. (Page 16)1
1

Extracted phrases that reflects

common concepts across the other
definitions
-achieve distributional equity, political
accountability and participation

-lifestyles that are acceptable and

justifiable to be passed on to the next
generation

(Harris, 2000)

Synthesizing the data in Table 3, the social concept in sustainable development is about
a society with distributional equity, political accountability and participation which is
manifested in a lifestyle that is acceptable and justifiable to be passed on to the next
generation.

Combining the three concepts: social development, sustainable development and the
social in sustainable development.

Table 4. The Concepts of Social Development, Sustainable Development and

Social in Sustainable Development
Definitions
Social development is a systematic process of change
that is initiated by the people who at the same time will
benefit from the outcome of their own decisions and
actions.
Sustainable development is a process of improvement
of human condition without compromising the
ecological system. It entails a dynamic relationship
between human and the environment. A relationship
that exhibits prudence and regard to the future
generations when exercising the consumption of the
natural resources.
Social concept in sustainable development is about a
society with distributional equity, political accountability
and participation which is manifested in a lifestyle that
is acceptable and justifiable to be passed on to the
next generation.

Important phrases
-Systematic process of change
-Initiated by the people who at the
same time are the beneficiaries
-A process of improvement
-A dynamic relationship between
human and the environment

-A society with people having a

lifestyle that is acceptable and
justifiable to be passed on to the next
generation

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Synthesizing the three concepts, a sustainable social development is a process of

improvement of human condition that is initiated by people who lives and has a dynamic
relationship with the environment. The dynamic relationship is manifested by actions that
do not compromise the ecological system and values distributional equity, political
accountability and participation. And these values are manifested by a lifestyle that is
acceptable and justifiable to be passed on to the next generation.

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