Practical Introduction to Social Sustainability

Social sustainability is an aspect of sustainable development that is at the same time connected to multiple academic disciplines and to everyone’s everyday life and is thus relevant for almost every and any student.

It is simultaneously theoretically intriguing and practical. This course explores the basic theoretical underpinnings of social sustainability and puts them to practical use. Learning about social sustainability enables students to better understand the connection between their field of study, society, and sustainability.

During this course, the students will learn about social sustainability: what it is, why it is relevant, and its relationship to other aspects of sustainability. We will discuss what social sustainability looks like and how it can be measured. The international group of students will make it possible to compare cases of social sustainability from different parts of the world, how social sustainability is promoted in different societies and who should be responsible for it, locally and globally.

Participants are encouraged to personally reflect on what their professional role in a sustainable society can be.

Learning outcomes

After the course, the student will be able to

• Discuss what social sustainability is and how it relates to other aspects of sustainability.
• Argue for the relevance of social sustainability.
• Use different indicators to assess social sustainability.
• Describe the policies and actions that affect social sustainability.
• Understand the connection between social sustainability and resilience.

Methods

Lectures, group work, project work, presentations.

Date

1 August – 30 August. Contact teaching in Turku 4 August – 15 August 2025. The start and the finish of the course are completed online.