Maaseudun paikallisyhteisöjen sosiaalisesti kestävä kehitys : suuntaviivoja kestävälle hyvinvointipolitiikalle

Abstract

This research examines local welfare solutions that have emerged and developed in rural communities within the framework of social sustainability. Its objective is to analyse 1) what kind of social sustainability do the welfare solutions of rural communities embody, and 2) what kind of perspectives do they open for a socially sustainable welfare policy. In this study, social sustainability is understood as a feature of communities and communal activities and as a space where different dimensions of sustainable development are combined with human action. The values and goals that determine social sustainability are manifested in the functioning of economic, political, and cultural systems in society. The scientific-philosophical foundation of this research is classical pragmatism, which emphasises the practical nature of knowledge and the practical role of truth and meanings as its value basis. This research consists of four previously published articles and a summary connecting them. The implementation of the research follows the multimethodological case study strategy. The methodological approaches used are survey study, participatory observation, interviews, and field visits. The data consists of a survey conducted with third-sector organizations providing services, notes from the discussions and collaborative meetings, individual and group interviews, documentary and statistical data, and observation diaries. For data analysis, both quantitative analysis methods and data- and theory-driven content analysis have been utilised. The research reinforces the notion of social sustainability both as an end goal and as the process towards this objective. Based on the results of the research, a socially sustainable welfare policy takes shape as a practice for which social economy, the politics of resourcefulness, and co-governance provide an excellent foundation. The direction and tools for the implementation of a socially sustainable welfare policy are provided by three overarching principles. These are the experiential nature of daily life, holistic horizontality, and multi-dimensional participation. From the perspective of social work, the results highlight the need to draw attention to the forgotten tradition of community work.