Challenges of the Social Dimension of Sustainability 4030-CSDS

This course explores the social dimension of sustainable development, a
pillar widely recognized, yet often ambiguously defined. While
environmental and economic aspects of sustainability are more
concretely established, the social component—concerned with human
well-being, equity, and community resilience—presents complex and
evolving challenges. The course seeks to clarify the concept of social
sustainability by examining its key dimensions, including equitable access
to resources and opportunities, as well as the long-term viability and
cohesion of communities.
Students will engage with a broad range of topics central to social
sustainability, such as (energy) poverty, inequality, health, education,
child labour or social cohesion. The course will also highlight the role of
innovative approaches - such as social innovations, social
entrepreneurship and adaptive management in social innovation projects
- in addressing entrenched social problems and driving meaningful
change.
In addition, students will explore frameworks and tools designed to
evaluate, communicate and improve social outcomes in both
organizational and policy contexts, including Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) and Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA).
The course also examines common barriers to implementing and
communicating social sustainability, such as misinformation, resistance to
change, fear of innovation, and conceptual misunderstandings. Drawing
on insights from social psychology and sociology, students will explore
mechanisms like bounded rationality, categorization, conformity, the “not-
invented-here” syndrome, and principles of social influence.
Understanding these dynamics is essential for effectively communicating
sustainability initiatives and engaging with diverse social actors.
The course blends conceptual learning with practical application, offering
students opportunities to actively engage through discussions, case
studies, business model canvas, role-playing exercises, design thinking,
scenario-planning and reflective activities after the introductory mini-
lectures. A strong emphasis is placed on systems thinking to help
students understand the interconnected nature of social, economic, and

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environmental factors. These methods aim to deepen understanding,
enhance critical thinking, and develop the practical skills needed to
analyze complex social sustainability challenges and design effective,
context-sensitive solutions.
3ECTS = 90h:
30h – classes
15h – individual readings and preparation for classes
25h – individual assignment
20h – group assignment